This Isn't What We Meant
by ZTX
Summary: The time will soon come where you must embrace the darkness... but where one life ends another begins. Romance, ActionAdventure, Angst, Drama, Character Death. You didn't think I'd leave without an Epilogue, did you? R
1. Prologue

This Isn't What We Meant

ZTX

10/7/03

Disclaimer : I do not own KH or FF in any way, shape, or form. I may WISH I did, but then you all would hate me...

Prologue

_You want to know me?_

Tiny fingers embraced his index tightly, the sound of a sigh making his heart soar. His crystal blue eyes shone brightly as he gazed at her, his own flesh and blood. It was too bad _he_ hadn't been there to see her. _He_ would've loved her. His wife came up beside him and smiled, brushing the locks from the baby girl's face,

" Kae."

_How can you be so sure that what I tell you is truth?_

A young auburn-haired girl with bright blue eyes giggled as she ran across the beach. She was about the age of five. Her parents regularly brought her here so that she could become acquainted with the childhood they once knew. Her father was lying on the sand snoozing the day away, so she decided to have some fun. Her mother giggled as the young girl began to bury him up to the neck in sand. It looked like something _he _would do. She shook her head and gazed down at the twenty-five-year-old,

" You lazy bum..."

He peeled open an eye and quickly grabbed the young girl by the shoulders, raising her into the air. She screamed and giggled in delight as he tossed her up a bit,

" Daddy! Daddy, stop it!!"

He smirked and lowered her slowly, their noses touching for a bit. She grinned wildly and giggled, frowning,

" Daddy, why do you do that?"

Grinning, he laughed,

" Because I can."

He set her down beside him and sat up, placing both hands on his knees,

" Why do _you_ do _that_?"

She frowned, tilting her head to the side,

" Do what?"

Smiling, he wiped a finger across her nose,

" Twitch your nose whenever you ask me a question?"

He suddenly pulled her to him and sloppily kissed her cheek, the sound echoing across the small island. She backed away and wiped the spit off her cheek,

" Eww! Daddy that's gross!"

Shaking his head, he laughed and pushed himself up,

" Just doin' my job."

She giggled, smiling brightly,

" You're so weird!"

Smiling just as bright, he took a pose,

" I know. It's...a gift."

He gasped and doubled over when his wife playfully poked his stomach,

" A gift, huh? Seems more like a FLUKE to me!"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes following her as she stepped passed,

" Fluke, eh? I'll show you a fluke!"

Quickly running up from behind her, he grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, making her scream,

" Sora! Sora, no! Stop it!! Stop i-hi-hit!"

Kae smiled and ran out to the shore, glancing over toward Paopu Isle. The waves were thrashing against it violently and she frowned upon seeing a small raft out at sea,

" Mama, Daddy! Lookit!! Lookit, it's a raft!"

Sora stopped and they both glanced out at the ocean, seeing the beaten sea vessel as well. He turned to Kairi and frowned,

" The raft? But how is it...?"

His eyes widened and he shot a glance back toward it. Swarming from the otherside of the island was a monstrous group of Heartless. He gasped, running over to Kae and picking her up. He ran her over to Kairi and set her down, Kairi grabbing hold of her hand,

" Both of you, get off the island as fast as you can. I'll try and hold them off!"

Kairi reached for him as he ran down the beach, her other hand holding onto her daughter's,

" Sora!"

Kae gasped as her mother dragged her back to the docks, screaming and calling out to her father once she was picked up,

" Daddy!! Daddy, come back!!"

Kairi set Kae down in the boat and untied it, pushing it away from the shore. She quickly hopped inside it and started back for the other island. He'd be alright by himself... she hoped.

_And if it is truth..._

Sora's eyes widened, suddenly realizing he was out numbered. He grabbed a nearby palm branch and lit it with a Firaga spell, waving it at them wildly. They didn't seem to be fazed. Gasping, he dropped it quickly and ran. The Keyblade was no use against them, they were stronger somehow...stronger than before. At that moment, he really wished that Donald and Goofy were there for support. His gray shirt clung to him as he ran, black shorts swishing as the wind caught them. His sandals suddenly caught in the sand and he grunted, falling to the hard ground. Quickly, he turned himself over and held the Keyblade up for protection, even though it would do little to protect him from this bunch of Heartless. He swung blindly at them, feeling their claws dig into his skin. He could even feel the blood steadily seeping from his wounds...

* * *

Kairi gasped, placing a hand on her heart as she stepped out onto their porch. The sky over the island was pitch black and she frowned, shutting the door as Kae tried coming out. Turning, she hastily picked up her lavender jacket and shoved on her sandals,

" I'll be back soon, Kae. Stay here."

Kae pressed her hands up against the screen door and pouted as her mother ran off toward the docks. She gasped, quickly running behind the couch when a flash of lightning danced across the skies. The crack of thunder caused her to scream and she ducked, curling up behind the couch in fear.

* * *

Kairi's short, ruby locks of hair danced in the winds as she hastily tied her boat up. She ran as fast as she could onto the island, as fast as anyone could in a short, white skirt, anyway. Shivering, she called out into the cold,

" Sora!"

When she received no reply, she gulped and called again,

" Sora! Sora--"

She gasped upon seeing a still form lying on the beach and placed a hand on her heart,

" Sora?"

The form moved, slowly and seemingly in pain. Kairi straightened when she saw somemore Heartless beginning to take shape and quickly ran to him,

" Sora!!"

Grabbing him by the arm, she helped him up and hurried him over to the boat, laying him down inside. Then taking both oars, she hastily rowed away from the island as the Heartless reached the shoreline, not going any further then their boundaries.

* * *

Kae lifted her head at the sound of the screen door shutting and blinked, crawling out from behind the couch. Her mother had headed upstairs quickly for some reason, so she decided to follow. She silently slipped into her parent's room and smiled when she saw her father lying in bed,

" Daddy!"

Quickly, she ran to the side of the bed and was about to climb up when her mother stopped her,

" Sweetie, no..."

" It's alright, Kairi...let her up..."

Kae frowned, glancing up at her mother as she was lifted up onto the bed. The little girl gasped at what she saw. Her father was cut up badly, two gashes respectively on his stomach and chest. There were other minute cuts here and there, but those were far from noticeable. Kae blinked with big eyes, soon beginning to pout,

" Daddy, what's going on? I'm scared..."

He smiled at her, placing a bloody hand on her cheek,

" Don't be afraid... Kae. Everything's...gonna be just...fine."

She nodded, still refusing to smile,

" Do your boo boos hurt?"

Kairi covered her mouth with a hand and bit back a cry, blinking away her tears. She heard him laugh weakily and he shook his head,

" No... not really..."

He then grunted and sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth. Kairi tensed and stepped over to him,

" Sora...?"

Sora raised a hand and firmly gripped her's within it, smiling up at her,

" It's alright.... don't cry...Kairi."

He then glanced back down at Kae and his eyes softened,

" Kae, can I talk... with Mommy...for a moment, please?"

The young girl nodded and hopped off the bed, bounding over to the door.

Kairi knelt over him, grasping his hand in her own and holding it to her chest, her other hand stroking his bangs,

" Sora, I--"

He placed a finger to her lips and closed his eyes, shaking his head,

" Shhhhsh.... I know."

A tear slipped out of her eye and she lowered her head to his chest,

" I don't want to lose you..."

Kae blinked, glancing down the hallway. A group of odd looking forms were rising from the ground and she gasped, her blue eyes widening. Once materialized, they all glared straight at her with bright yellow eyes and she screamed, backing up into the room. Kairi and Sora glanced toward the door, soon seeing the Heartless in the entryway. Kairi glanced over at Kae and gasped, quickly hiding her in the nearest closet,

" Don't come out until I say, alright?"

The young girl nodded and gasped when the door closed on her, but not completely. She could still see if she leaned against the wall and her small, blue eyes widened as the creatures went after her parents. Two of them tried attacking her father, but were quickly stopped by a flower vase and a couple Paopu blossoms. Her mother screamed as those same two pinned her to the wall and began to scratch at her, her father yelling her name,

" Kairi!"

One leapt on top of him, pinning him to the bed as it raised a taloned appendage in the air. Sora gasped, the claws suddenly bearing down on his chest and ripping out his heart...

_...would you want to believe it?_

A deep auburn-haired girl stood in the middle of a town, the embers of ruin smoldering all around her. She held two pistols in her hands, her black gloves becoming ratty with use. She wore skin-tight black pants and a tank to match, with lace-up boots adorning her feet. Her reddish-black coat swayed in the breeze, gently rapping against the heel of her boots. Her hair was tied up in an icy, frayed bun, jet black streaks coarsing thorugh it. Her crystal blue eyes shone brightly in contrast to her heavy eyeliner. She looked to be about the age of 19. Letting a small sigh escape her lips, she frowned,

" Welcome to my world."


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

She walked along the shoreline, her boots crunching in the sand. Stopping upon reaching two graves, she sighed and knelt down. She traced her fingers in the names inscribed upon the cement and closed her eyes, a strong wind dancing through her hair. The palm trees that remained swayed around her, the water lapping against a nearby set of rocks. The air was cold, as it had been for the past 14 years. Her pistols were holstered by her side, tightly clinging to her hips. Her clothes, long and billowing, were black and tinted in crimson... mostly likely from the spilt blood of her enemies. There was no more happiness on Destiny Islands, it's name of cruel and bitter taste.

'_Destiny Islands... what genius thought that one up?'_

She jumped when there was a sudden tap on her shoulder and spun around, not surprised to find no one there. Standing slowly, she set a hand on each pistol and drew them with god-like speed, spinning around in the same manner. There was now a boy standing in front of the graves and she narrowed her eyes at him, growling lowly. This boy was an odd one, not like many of the others she'd seen. For starters, she hadn't seen many boys that had scaly, _blue_ skin. Two, this boy was the only person she'd met ever since the Heartless succeeded in killing everyone else about 7 years ago. She aimed both guns straight at his chest, a lock of her bangs falling in her vision. He was smirking, and his eyes were a peculiar golden colour, like that of a cat's. His hair was crimson, as if a vat of blood had been spilt over his head. He was wearing a white, muscle top with a blue, plaid over-shirt and a pair of drawstring khakis hung off his waist.

An odd, blue tail twiched behind him, it's pointy end wrapping around one of the guns. It yanked it out of her grasp and tossed it aside, quickly treating the other likewise. She gasped, glancing down at her hands before quickly getting into a fighting stance,

" Who are you?"

He frowned, rubbing his chin in thought,

" Don't you think you should ask _yourself_ that question?"

She frowned and watched as he paced around her, keeping a close eye on his every move. This made him smile,

" You shouldn't worry. I'm not gonna bite you or anything..."

Tightly clenching her fists, she raised an eyebrow and spoke with the upmost sterness,

" You should answer when someone asks you a question."

He nodded, folding his arms,

" Then shouldn't you answer mine?"

She frowned, her azure eyes glistening in the dark,

" Stop answering my questions with a question!"

Smirking, he stopped and placed his hands on his hips in fists,

" Why?"

She growled and threw a punch at his face, shocked when he disappeared into blue mist.

" I could be here or there..."

She spun around quickly, seeing him standing there for an instant before he disappeared again. Upon turning around again, she followed his voice to a nearby tree. He was no where to be found,

"...but the question remains..."

Glancing back for the shore, she frowned and turned to the tree, jumping as he swung upside down in her face,

"... can you answer my question?"

She let out a huff of air and stormed back for the shore, picking up both of her pistols and rehalstering them. He smirked and hopped down as she fumed on past,

" Aren't you going to shoot me?"

Without even turning back, she breathed out angrily,

" What's the point? You're not an enemy... you're just a nuisance."

As she rounded the corner, she gasped to find him there,

" I don't have to be. You could always just answer the question and I'd be out of your hair."

She folded her arms, her billowing trenchcoat flapping in the breeze,

" Oh really? Well, then. My name's Kae. Satisfied?"

He smirked brightly at her, then disappeared into blue smoke,

" Very."

Kae shook her head with a sigh of relief and started on down the path, stopping when she came upon a large group of Heartless. They all turned toward her and twitched spasmodically, their golden eyes piercing through the darkness. She gripped both pistols tightly, preparing for a fight. They all saw this and knew what she would do, instantly leaping at the 19 year-old to stop her. Drawing both guns with god-like speed, she fired off a round on them. The bullets were strange, however, not that of a normal gun. They were blue crystals instead of lead, sinking into the Heartless' chests in a blur of azure and white.

The Heartless backed away, each of them squealing as pure, pink hearts errupted from their chests. But as those effected disintegrated, a new one would appear in it's place. Kae cursed and fired off another round, frustrated when it happened again. Each time she did this, however, she came closer and closer to running out of ammo.

_Chink._

Too late.

Gasping somewhat fearfully, Kae backed up and got into a fighting stance, a string of auburn bangs falling in front of her eyes. The Heartless turned to one another and squeaked, then simultaneously, all leapt at the teenager. She let out a cry, punching and kicking them away. A few of them were cut and bruised, but they remained undettered. So did she. However, being a human girl of human blood was not an advantage at this point. The Heartless were scratching and clawing up her skin, leaving huge gashes on her leg and arms. When they kicked, they kicked her hard. When they clawed, they dug in deep. One of their kicks landed her on the ground with a cracked rib.

She grunted, desperately trying to stand up and defend herself, but the pain in her side was too great to allow her any movement. The Heartless began to crowd around her in a circle and smother her, all leaping at once to kill. Kae flinched, a sharp pain errupting in her side as she blacked out. The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the nearest cliffside were the last sounds she heard before...

* * *

" Hey.... hey! Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"

Kae groaned, slowly opening her eyes to meet gazes with a pair of golden ones. She gasped, sitting up quickly and slamming her head into...whatever it was. The object yelped and backed up, sitting down on it's tail. Tail? Rubbing her head a bit, she opened her eyes to see that the object was a boy, with blue skin and red hair. She groaned,

" Oh, it's you..."

He smirked,

" Hey, don't sound so enthused."

Kae pushed the covers away from her to find she was wearing different clothes. Her face went red with fury and she glanced up at the boy, the anger burning in her crystal blue eyes,

" Did you change my clothes!?"

He held his hands up in innocence, clamping his tail over his eyes,

" I didn't peek! Honest!"

She puffed out a breath in anger and clenched her teeth, hurling one of the pillows at his head. He caught it seconds before it smashed into his face and peeked around it as she threw another, using it as protection,

" Hey! What was I supposed to do!? Let you bleed to death in those rags you call clothes over there!"

Kae pushed herself to the edge of the bed, her new, plaid night shirt barely covering her legs. He hadn't bother to find pants for her either...

_' What a pervert!'_

She thought angrily, preparing to stand. The boy tensed, lowering the pillow from his head,

" Hey, you'd better not do that..."

Narrowing her eyes at him, she growled,

" Um, excuse you. You took my clothes off. I don't think you have the right to determine what I do or don't do."

He raised his pointer up in defense,

" But I did replace your clothes with fresh ones. Not to mention I saved your life so you should be thanking me, not shoving my kindness back in my face."

Kae rolled her eyes, taking in a deep breath,

" Ooh, you're a _real_ 'Mr. Deeds', aren't ya?"

The boy forced a laugh, becoming serious again as she pushed herself off of the bed,

" I'm telling you. You shouldn't be up and around just yet! You still need to--"

She shot him a menacing glare and he raised his hands up again,

" Alright, but when you go and get yourself hurt more, don't come cryin' to me..."

He folded his arms across his chest and watched as she slowly stepped toward the other end of the room where her clothes lay. Picking them up, she wadded them up and started back for the bed, smirking in spite of him,

" See, I don't need your help at all."

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her side and dropped the clothes, falling forward. He quickly jumped up and caught her in his arms, her face burying itself in his chest. Glancing up at him, she blushed in fury and righted herself, pushing him away. He smirked, scratching his head as she brushed herself off. Darting her gaze from him to the floor, she coughed,

" Thanks... I guess."

Smiling, he placed both hands behind his head and leaned back on his tail as if it were a seat,

" Heh, your welcome."

She then cleared her throat and frowned,

" Well, could you please leave so I can change my clothes?"

The boy frowned, his crimson bangs that hung just above his ear falling in front of his eyes,

" What's the point? It's almost nightfall. Why get dressed knowing you'll have to change back again?"

Kae blinked, glancing down at the clothes in her arms,

" Good point."

She set them down on the nightstand and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over herself to keep him from peeking at her. He smiled, heading for the door,

" Goodnight, Kae."

Kae frowned,

" Wait!"

He turned back before closing the door and she folded her arms, tilting her head a bit,

" You never did answer _my _question."

Smirking, he stepped back into the room,

" It's Tobi."

She smiled at him,

" Well, then. Goodnight, Tobi."

Tobi nodded, stepping back out of the doorway,

" Goodnight."

Turning over on her side, she cursed as a sharp pain shot through her side. He smiled, the sound of the door clicking the last heard in the room that night.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Kae tossed and turned in her sleep, dreaming of things that used to be. The Islands in all their splendour. Her mother... her father. How she missed them so. They were the only ones that understood her at all and now? They were dead... both of them. And she'd seen it happen...

_14 years ago_

_She gasped as the door closed on her, but not completely. She could still see if she leaned against the wall and her small, blue eyes widened as the creatures went after her parents. A gasp escaped her lips as they went after her father first, her mother striking them away. Her efforts did no good, however, they easily pinned her against the wall farthest from him. He called out for her, but one of the creatures leapt on top of him, silencing the cry. He growled at the creature, then gasped as it brung it's claws down into his chest. Kae heard him struggle, his blood splattering on the walls surrounding the closet. Her eyes widened, her pupils becoming smaller as he fell limp, the creature ripping out his heart..._

* * *

" Hey! Time to wake up!"

Kae gasped and opened her eyes, finding Tobi standing over her again. She frowned, pushing him away,

" What is it now?"

Tobi smirked, shoving her clothes at her,

" We're leaving."

Kae raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her clothes then back at him,

" Where are we--? Hey, you fixed them..."

Tobi shrugged,

" Got bored and couldn't sleep. So I figured, eh, what the heck. She's gotta wear something tomorrow, doesn't she?"

He turned before exiting the door, his tail twitching behind him,

" And about your other question? To someone who knows a lot about how _this_ world works."

Kae frowned, blinking in confusion,

" '_This_ world?'"

Tobi smirked at her before shutting the door, his golden eyes gleaming brightly.

As soon as they stepped up to the porch of the house, Kae frowned,

" This isn't Destiny Islands..."

Tobi laughed, glancing back at her,

" Nothing gets past you, huh?"

Kae frowned,

" So what _exactly_ are we doing _here_?"

Tobi pressed an ear against the door of a nearby, shabby house after knocking, listening closely for any movement beyond the door,

" I've known this guy for a long time. Maybe he knows something about why your world was destroyed so suddenly..."

Kae straightened,

" Destroyed?"

Tobi nodded, knocking again,

" Yep."

There was still no answer and he frowned, grabbing hold of the doorknob. Locked. Sitting down on his tail as if it were a stool, Tobi frowned and rubbed his chin in thought,

" Hmmm... I know!"

He jumped up and grasped his tail firmly, inserting it into the lock and shifted it around a bit, waiting for the click. Kae frowned at him, raising an eyebrow as she folded her arms across her chest,

" Isn't this called breaking and entering?"

Tobi smiled as he took the knob and turned it, pushing the door open a crack,

" No. I didn't break anything, so technically, it's just 'and entering'. And besides, he _loves_ me..."

Kae rolled her eyes and snorted,

" I'm sure."

The two of them stepped inside, Tobi glancing around the dark living space. There was a couch and a recliner in the living room, a long hallway extending to the left of them. The hall led to the kitchen, wear a small TV sat idle. The oven looked as though it hadn't been touched in years, the sink as well. Around the corner was a fitness-type room. Punching bags and a few weapons adorned it's wall space. Kae raised an eyebrow, stepping about cautiously,

" Are you sure anyone lives here? This place looks abandoned."

Tobi nodded,

" Oh yeah, he's here alright. Just hiding..."

Kae frowned,

" Hiding?"

He nodded again, his hair falling infront of his eyes as he stepped around the corner into another hall. There were three doors in this hall and he opened each one cautiously,

" Yep, he likes to do this whenever I come here."

" How does he know when you're coming?"

Tobi glanced back at her and smiled,

" He senses my presence."

Kae blinked,

" Okay, are we talking about a man or a Heartless?"

Tobi squinted, staring at the area behind her. There was a shadowy figure lurking there, ready to attack them. He smirked, a sharp tooth showing in his smile,

" Man..."

Pushing her out of the way, he leapt at the figure, who turned sharply to meet him. Kae gasped as Tobi disappeared in a blur of blue smoke, the man calmly glancing behind him. Tobi had reappeared there and was met with a steel rod in the stomach. The man did a backflip over the boy and twirled the rod around, holding it at his side as he acquired a fighting stance. He waved Tobi on with his free hand and smirked as the boy charged, again leaping into the air. Leaping over Tobi a second time, he landed nearer the floor and did a round-house kick across the carpet. Tobi jumped just in time, attaching himself to the ceiling for a split second before charging. The man kicked back, pressing himself against a nearby wall. Tobi landed in front of him and threw a punch, surprised when his fist met the wall. The man had ducked a split second before impact and was now smirking as he rammed the rod into Tobi's stomach a second time. The boy grunted and fell to his knees, gasping for air as he doubled over. The man leapt over him and landed easily, placing his rod back into it's sheath,

" You're getting better, I see. Have you been practicing?"

Tobi shot a glare at him and scowled,

" No fair... you said you wouldn't use your weapon this time!"

The man chuckled and smirked at him, shrugging,

" So I lied. Sue me."

He strode over and lent a hand to the boy, who gladly took it. Tobi brushed himself off and headed back over to Kae, who was simply staring at them in awe. He raised an eyebrow at this and frowned,

" What?"

The auburn-haired girl blinked and shook her head, clearing her throat,

" Nothing! It's nothing..."

This made Tobi smile and he put an arm around her shoulders, leading her toward the man he'd just fought,

" Kae, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Riku."


	4. Chapter Three

* * *

Chapter Three

" Kae, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Riku."

Kae nodded, staring in awe at the man before her. He was lean and strong, looking to be around the age of 32. He had silver hair and wore a blindfold securely around his eyes, his clothes consisting of a white tank and a pair of blue jeans. Somehow, he noticed her staring and smirked, laughing light-heartedly,

" I'm old enough to be your father."

Kae shook her head,

" Oh, I know! I was just wondering. How did you... get so strong?"

His smile soon faded and he walked away from them, shaking his head,

" I'd rather not talk about it."

Kae frowned, glancing up at Tobi,

" What's his problem?"

Tobi glanced down at her and shrugged,

" I dunno. It's just he's a little touchy about his past."

Kae straightened,

" A little? The man looked like he was gonna kill me!"

* * *

" So, Kae... I've never seen you around Midgar before. Where are you from?"

Riku asked, taking a carton of milk from the fridge and sipping it straight from the source as the t.v blared behind him. Kae gazed at the bright colours on the screen, soon seeing an add for a cruise appear. It showed a beautiful island resort, palm trees lining the beaches and crystal blue waves brushing gently against the shore. It reminded her of home,

" Destiny Islands."

Tobi was watching the television, too, at least until he heard spitting noises. Both teens glanced over to find that Riku had spat the drink halfway across the room. A yellow canine that was residing under the table hid it's face in both paws and whimpered, as if it was frightened of what would happen next. Riku glanced over at her and coughed,

" W..Where did you say?"

Kae blinked, shrugging a little as she answered,

" Destiny Islands. Why?"

He shook his head, quickly wiping off his chin,

" No reason... nevermind."

She sighed, lowering her head,

" Not that it matters anymore, anyway... It was destroyed, so I've got nothing to go back home to."

Riku straightened, nearly dropping the carton,

" D-Destroyed?"

Tobi nodded,

" That's why we came here, Riku. Figured you'd be the one to know why... why it and a whole bunch of other worlds have been disappearing off the face of the cosmos."

He stared at them for a moment, quickly shoving the container back into the fridge,

" Sorry... can't help you."

Tobi straightened, than disappeared in a cloud of blue mist and reappeared at the otherside of Riku,

" But...But you have to know! You were around for the last one, weren't you!?"

Riku turned his gaze from the boy, his hand lingering on the refrigerator handle. Tobi clenched his fists tightly,

" You hafta know _something_!!"

Lowering his head, Riku turned away from them as Kae stood up. He sighed and started for the door,

" I _don't _hafta know anything. So stop stressin' about it. Whatever comes, comes... that's how life goes."

Tobi folded his arms, narrowing his eyes,

" If you _don't _know anything just like you say, then how come we've been training ever since we came here? I highly doubt it's for your leisure."

Riku stopped upon reaching the door, his hand on the paneling. Turning his head slightly, he frowned,

" I have my reasons... that's all you need to know."

He then pushed the door open and let it swing shut behind him, heading on down the hall without a second glance. Tobi was about to start after him, but decided against it and turned to Kae. She was frowning in confusion,

" This... This has all happened before?"

Before Tobi was able to speak again, Riku popped his head in through the door. Apparently, he was a very passive man,

" You two, I'm goin' to the Wall Market, so I probably won't be back for awhile. If you wanna come with me then, be my guest. I'm leaving now, though."

Kae turned to Tobi, then back to Riku,

" I need to go."

Tobi glanced over at her and blinked, sighing as he turned back to Riku,

" I guess I'll go, too..."

Riku laughed, leaving the doorway,

" Good. There was no way I was about to leave _you _in _my _house alone!"

The azure boy straightened, his tail twitching behind him as they all started for the door,

" Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"

Riku laughed again as the screen-door rattled shut behind them,

" What? You don't know?"

Kae let out a slight giggle as Tobi became frustrated, the first true laugh she'd had in a long time. But it was soon to fade away, for as they left the ratty-looking house behind them, a shadowy figure twitched and twittered about spasmodically in the shadows.

* * *

" Hey, girlie. Wanna ride wit us?"

Kae stopped in the alleyway as a man came up behind her, Riku and Tobi stopping along with her. She raised an eyebrow, unamused as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Both Tobi and Riku visibly tensed at this. The man smiled, silver caps on most, if not all, of his teeth,

" I'll make it pleas'rable if you hop in my ride now..."

He gulped, soon feeling the nozzle of a gun pressed against his crouch. Kae remained motionless, sternly spouting the truth at him,

" If you value your 'ride', which I may add is highly lacking, then you _will_ remove your hands now, sir."

He quietly backed away from her, hands raised in the air as his buds laughed it up beside him. The one to his left was smirking,

" She totally made a crack at you, dude!"

" SHUT UP!!"

She headed on past Riku and Tobi, the latter gaping in awe as they followed her,

" That was _so_ awesome! You totally made that guy piss his pants!"

Kae smirked, quickening her pace a bit,

" Heh...and you sound just like him."

Tobi straightened, soon hearing Riku's laughter in his ear,

" Hey!"

* * *

As they entered the Wall Market, Kae felt her eyebrow raise. It looked as though she'd have to threaten a few more men before the night was over. Riku stepped up beside her, almost as if he knew what she was thinking,

" I know. There are a lot of these guys around here. Don't pay any mind to 'em, though. As long as you're with me, they'll leave you alone."

She nodded as he walked past, following him shortly. Tobi quickly tagged along after them, his tail twitching behind him. He soon began to notice the stares and attention their small group was getting from people and he sighed. He and Riku weren't the highest noted of people around these parts, and not because of what they did or said in the past. Riku was looked upon in fear, as was he, but even more so for the silvery-haired man. Apparently when they'd first come here about 20 years ago, people were in fear from the Heartless and saw him as deity in little need of trusting. As for himself, well, just one look at him would make even the most fearless of men cower.

Mothers were pulling their children back into houses as they passed, whispering about them in low voices. Funny, he could still hear every word they said. He'd heard the times he'd been called a " Freak" or a " Heartless"... but what was even worse was what they'd spout about Riku. Hearing those words said about such a good person both angered and utterly confused him. Riku was one of the main gossip topics at the Wall Market, not that _Riku _cared, however. In fact, he hated it. Tobi could see that Riku was one of those people who just wanted to be left alone.

But hearing words like, " I feel a dark aura about that man" or " That's Ansem's boy" made Tobi want to ask Riku a million questions as to what it all meant. Though he knew he never would... Riku would become upset at the slightest inquiry about his past and give him the cold shoulder. Tobi _didn't_ like the cold shoulder.

He could only wonder what the people were thinking now that they had Kae in their midst. A younger girl, about the age of 16, stood with her ''boyfriend'' and scowled as Kae walked past. She then noticed that this new girl had caught the eye of several men along the street, most likely due to her tight-fitting outfit and small frame. The girl, who was not amoung the most beautiful people in the world, smacked her boyfriend's arm as soon as she caught him staring at her. She then gasped, noticing who the new enchantress was with,

" Look... she's with _them._"

Others on the street began to take notice as well, quickly clearing the path for them. Kae glanced back and forth, frowning as the people stepped aside,

" What's going on?"

Riku stared straight ahead, not even glancing back toward her,

" They're afraid."

" Afraid of what?"

A young girl was shooed out of the way by her mother, but dropped her teddy bear in the process. Tobi blinked and disappeared, reappearing beside the bear. He picked it up and disappeared again, the little girl watching with her mouth agape. Tobi then reappeared in front of her and knelt down, gently offering her the toy back. The little girl giggled, taking it from him with a happy smile on her face. Tobi smiled in return but was soon met with the face of the girl's mother, who was glaring at him angrily. She hurried her child away, the little girl glancing back at him as she was dragged off.

His expression saddened and he straightened as he headed back for the others. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he pouted as he walked up behind Kae,

" I hate this city..."


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The three of them stood before a weapon's shop, Riku leading them inside. Kae glanced back at Tobi, who was still pouting, and grinned slightly,

" If you keep doing that, you're face will get stuck that way."

He gave her a simple gesture to let her know he didn't want any smart-mouth comments from her. Her smirk became toothy in an evil sense and she headed inside. Boy, did she miss messing with people...

Riku stepped up to the counter, the teller greeting him happily,

" Ah, if it ain't my favourite customer!"

Riku smirked slightly at him and snorted,

" And if it isn't my favourite liar... how's things goin', Barret?"

Barret straightened in mock shock and pressed his only hand to his heart,

" Me? A liar? Why, I'd never...!"

Riku raised an eyebrow at him, a moderate smirk on his face. Barret shrugged, leaning on the counter,

" Eh, yeah I would. Anyway, so whatcha here for this time? Blades, guns, canes..."

" Information."

Barret raised an eyebrow at this,

" Information?"

Riku nodded, his expression becoming stern,

" The stars... they're going out again."

Tobi kicked a nearby can, the tin rattling as it rolled across the gravel. He straightened, tilting his head when he saw something scurry about in the shadows. Cautiously and taking slow steps, he crept after it like a cat would it's prey.

" But I thought Sora--"

" So did I. But apparently, thinking wasn't good enough..."

Kae glanced up from the boxes she was looking over and toward Riku and Barret. She turned her gaze away as Barret returned it. He gasped lowly, noticing the girl for the first time,

" Well I'll be d$#d...

Riku frowned, his blindfold ruffling a bit,

" What? What is it?"

Barret shook his head, not able to take his eyes off of her,

" Nuthin'. Just thinkin' out loud."

Riku turned in her direction, still frowning,

" Oh, her? That's Kae--"

" Yeah, yeah... I know. But... she looks like..."

Turning back to Barret, Riku raised an eyebrow in question,

" Looks like...?"

Barret tore his gaze from the mysterious girl and shook his head,

" Nuthin'. Nevermind. Now, what was it you was sayin'?"

Riku nodded,

" I may know a way to find Sora... and it's through her."

Barret straightened,

" What now?"

Sighing, Riku clamped both hands to the sides of his head and clenched them tightly, grabbing two fistfuls of hair. He then calmed down a bit and clasped both hands together, hiding his mouth behind them,

" Kae is from Destiny Islands. I figure if anyone can locate Sora... she can."

Barret snorted, turning his gaze back toward her,

" I wouldn't doubt it."

" What d'you say?"

" Oh, nothin'. Just talkin' out loud."

All three within the store jumped when a sudden shout was heard from outside. Riku marched over to the door, Barret coming out from behind the counter, and Kae following closely behind as they all headed outside to investigate. First looking to the right, then the left, Riku spotted Tobi near the alleyway,

" Hey, kid! What're you doin'?"

Tobi stood completely still, his eyes wide with terror. Riku raised an eyebrow and stepped over to him,

" Kid, what's--"

He stopped upon seeing the millions of Heartless that were rapidly lining the alley. There was a shadowy figure beyond the sea of black creatures and Riku felt his pulse quicken, his skin soon becoming pale,

" We've gotta get out of here."

* * *

Women screamed as they ran from the fast approaching creatures, soon becoming trapped and destroyed by them. Mothers carried their children away from the chaos, only to have their exit's precluded and their hearts stolen right from their chests. Children cried, men and women fled in terror, all of which was pointless against the Heartless. Riku ran into the central sector of the town, brandishing a light-weight, silver rod,

" It's worse than I thought. Barret, get Kae and Tobi away from here in the Highwind. I'll take care of them."

Barret nodded, shooting at a few of the creatures with his gun-arm as he began to lead them away. Tobi stood still as the senior-aged man headed past, shaking his head as he stepped toward Riku,

" You're insane! You can't do this alone!! I'm helping..."

" No."

Tobi straightened at the man's refusal. Riku shook his head,

" It's too dangerous for a kid like you just yet. You're not ready for this. Go with Barret and Kae to the Highwind, I'll meet up with you later."

" I'm not going! I'm gonna stay and help you fight--"

" I said no!" Riku shouted, bashing a nearby Heartless in the head,

" Now go with them to the Highwind... HURRY UP!"

Tobi was taken aback by Riku's reaction and quickly did as told, rushing after Kae and Barret as fast as he was able. Riku's gaze lingered in their direction for a moment, then all concentration reverted back to the task at hand. Defeating the Heartless and being able to get out of there...alive.

* * *

Barret, Kae, and Tobi rounded the corner, Barret's arm-gun firing off bullets instantaneously. He cursed running out of ammo as one of the Heartless sprang at him. It was suddenly shot out of the sky, however, and Kae smirked as she blew the smoke away from her pistol,

" You're not the only one here with bullets, sweetie."

Tobi glanced back for a moment, hearing a few cries come from Riku's position. They were inhuman cries. Barret called out to him as Kae headed for the airship,

" C'mon, we gotta go!"

Tobi glanced back at him,

" But what about--"

" He'll be fine! Just c'mon!"

Nodding, Tobi reluctantly boarded the airship, Barret following up behind them. They decided against taking off until Riku was present. Barret impatiently tapped his foot, rapping his fingernails against the metallic wall as he waited for the man in the doorway,

" C'mon, kid. Where are you?"

* * *

The Heartless began twitching all around him as if in some sort of trance-like dance ritual. Riku glared at everyone of them through the confines of his blindfold, his only means of sight by sensing their energies. The darkness always burned a deep crimson, the light a brilliant blue or rarely, gold. The Heartless never did have many hearts of gold. He could see each and every one of them, despite his lack of eyesight. They all began chirping at the same time, making him shudder involuntarily. Something about that noise...

As if they all knew he was affected by it, the Heartless simultaneously let out a high-pitched whistle, the sound echoing off the buildings surrounding him. Riku covered his ears, the sound distracting him from their energies and thoughts of battle....

* * *

" I'm gonna go find 'im."

Barret announced, quickly stepping away from the Highwind. Tobi straightened and started after him,

" I'm coming, too!"

" No!"

Barret spun on his heel and glared at the boy with intensity,

" Stay here like Riku told ya. I'll be back in a minute."

He then started off again, Tobi standing silently on the soft brown dirt sifting under his sneakers as he shifted from foot to foot, slowly taking steps toward the city. Kae stood at the entryway of the Highwind, unable to not notice how worried the boy was getting. She blinked, tensing as she soon felt a dark presence in the area, but not from the left or the right or behind her. Tilting her head, she slowly stepped out into the night and turned her gaze to the starry skies. Her eyes widened at what she saw. There in the center of the navy canvas was a huge, swirling black portal.

* * *

" Riku!"

Barret called, glancing around in all directions. He cursed under his breath, soon feeling a slight suction on his body. Slowly glancing up, he saw the portal in the sky growing larger and loudly cursed, running through screaming crowds of people being attacked by the Heartless,

" $#! Riku, we gotta go!! Riku!?"

Ending up in a clearing, the 60 year-old man glanced over to his left to see that Riku was on his knees, clutching his head tightly,

" Riku..."

The Heartless surrounding the silver-haired man leapt into the air simultaneously, all hoping to receive a piece of the valiant warrior. Barret tensed, aiming his gun-arm for the creatures,

" RIKU!!"

He was about to fire when the Heartless suddenly let out chirps of pain, all being blown away from their target by force. Barret straightened, his eyes shining in the green light that was now glowing around Riku. A strange wind was encircling the younger man, battering his cloak about fiercely. The Heartless soon began to cower and sunk back into the ground, all now in fear of this man and his power.

The glow soon faded from Riku's body and he let out a low grunt, nearly collapsing to the dirt. He had to use his staff to keep himself up, his other hand clutching tightly to his chest as he panted. Barret rushed over to help him,

" You okay?"

Riku nodded, trying unsuccessfully to calm his heart,

" I'm fine. Where are the others?"

" They back at the ship, still! O' course, I ain't sure if they're there anymore!"

Riku frowned,

" What!?"

Barret nodded upward, Riku's blindfolded gaze soon following. He could see a large amount of red in the sky and cursed,

" It's happening all over..."

Straightening suddenly, he tensed,

" Tobi."

Barret was surprised as Riku broke off into a run and decided it best to follow.

* * *

Tobi clenched his fists as he stared at the huge hole in the sky with Kae. Narrowing her eyes, Kae let out a curse,

" What the h$# is that thing?"

" Tobi!"

Both teens turned quickly to see Riku and Barret running toward them, Riku a bit faster then the latter. Tobi straightened, clenching his fists,

" What's going on, Riku? What's gonna happen to this place!?"

Riku shook his head,

" I can't explain right now. All I know is that we've gotta get out of here!"

Kae glanced, tucking some loose hairs behind her ear,

" And how exactly do you say we do that!?"

" Simple," Riku responded, holding out his hand. Kae raised an eyebrow in doubt and snorted,

" How's that gonna help?"

He closed his eyes, a tiny black orb soon floating above his palm. The orb began to increase in size, soon able to swallow an entire being. Tobi straigthened, blinking slowly,

" Whoa... what is _that_?"

Barret tensed, able to see clearly the stress on his friend's body,

" Don't ask questions, kid. Just step through the portal."

Tobi shook his head,

" Nuh-uh! There's no way I'm goin' in there till I know what it is!"

Riku shut his eyes tighter, the blindfold ruffling up a bit,

" Look at it this way... would you rather go with me or go up there?"

Tobi glanced back and forth between the two portals and nodded,

" True."

Lowering the portal to the ground, Riku began to usher them inside. Kae went first, Barret next, then finally Tobi. Tobi stopped before stepping inside and offered him a smile,

" Riku?"

Riku glanced up at him, frowning somewhat. Tobi nodded, stepping inside,

" Thanks."

As soon as the boy was gone, Riku smiled and stepped in himself, the portal disappating behind him.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Tobi stepped through the otherside of the warp hole and shielded his eyes from the brightness which he saw. It appeared that they'd all ended up in somesort of town, a strange one at that! There were few people around, the square looking relatively vacant. He jumped as soon as he heard the warp hole close behind him, spinning around to find the group missing a member,

" Riku?"

Barret straightened, both he and Kae looking around for the man. He was nowhere in sight. Clenching his fist tightly, Barret cursed,

" D$$#! He ain't here!"

" Looking for me?"

They all turned to see the aforementioned man standing by the world gates, cloaked in shadow. Barret waved his fist at Riku as the man stepped up with the rest of them, looking visibly tired,

" D$$#, kid! One 'a these days, these lil' stunts 'o' yours is gonna get yourself killed!"

Riku chuckled, waving him off as he walked on past,

" Hmph... not likely."

Growling and grumbling, Barret reluctantly followed the man to a nearby store. Tobi glanced around the place, his eyes lit up in wonder,

" Where are we?"

Kae stepped up to a sign and put a gloved hand on his shoulder, pointing to a sign hanging over on a huge doorway,

" Well, if you had learned how to read when you were younger, you'd see the sign says 'Traverse Town'. Now just put 2 and 2 together, Tobi. What does that tell you?"

She then grinned and headed after Riku and Barret, leaving Tobi to stand by himself for a moment. Tobi frowned,

" Hey, I can too read! And what's 22 got to do with anything? I know it's 5, so what..."

* * *

Riku pushed open the door to the Accessories Shop and stepped inside, glancing around the place for a bit. From the looks of it, no one was there,

" Hello? Cid, you here? Hello...?"

There was a few grumbles coming from the back room and Riku smirked, knowing who the curses belonged to,

" #$%$$#... yeah, I'm here... what the #$% do you want?"

Riku chuckled as the man stepped up behind the counter, his hair now grayed and his face a bit more wrinkled than it was when they last saw each other. Cid yawned, scratching the stubble on his chin,

" Yeah, what do you want? Hold on a minute... don't I.. know you from somewhere?"

Riku smirked, trying to hold back his laughter,

" Yeah, I think you do, Cid."

Cid squinted his eyes a little, stepping back a bit to see the full person,

" Why... ain't you that 'Riku' kid from a couple years back?"

He nodded,

" Yeah, but it's been more than just a couple years. Try more like, twenty-five."

" Twenty-five years!? #$%# $#%#! I knew there was somethin' different 'bout you! You got old!"

Riku's eyebrow twitched at hearing those words and he growled,

" I'm not old. I'm 39."

Barret snorted, slapping the silver-haired man on the shoulder,

" Yeah right! You 40 and you know it...!"

Riku quickly grabbed the man's hand and began to squeeze it,

" Don't touch me."

Kae raised an eyebrow, stepping over to Barret,

" He's 40?"

Barret nodded, chuckling softly,

" Oh yeah, sister. 'Bout 9 months ago today..."

Riku instantly shot him a glare, which was lessened due to the fact he wore a blindfold. Barret coughed, beating at his chest a little,

" Man, I think I may be catchin' a cold! What ch'you think?"

Kae shook her head,

" You don't look 40 to me."

Riku gave her a smile, scratching his head a bit,

" Thanks..."

" Yeah, but you sure do act it sometimes!"

They all turned to see Tobi standing in the doorway. The boy was smirking, beginning to laugh a little,

" Just think, Riku. You were 20 when I was born."

Riku's eyebrow twitched again and he growled lowly,

" Yeah, don't remind me..."

Tobi laughed again,

" And just think. In about 10 years, you'll be 50!"

He shot Tobi a menacing glare, though it couldn't be seen, and smirked bitterly,

" Tobi, you sleep sometime."

Tobi frowned, confused for a moment until realization hit him and his eyes widened greatly, his pupils disappearing behind golden irises. Riku coughed a bit then turned back to Cid,

" So, Cid, has anything strange been happening around here lately?"

Cid raised an eyebrow,

" Strange? What do ya mean 'strange'? As in..."

Riku solemnly nodded, resting his arms on the counter,

" Two worlds have recently been destroyed. There are reports of strange creatures on others. You know anything about it?"

Cid shook his head,

" No. But I did see this strange cloaked guy walkin' around near the old waterway a few days ago. Maybe he's got somethin' to do with it."

Riku turned to Barret,

" We should check it out."

Barret nodded, letting out a long yawn,

" Yeah, sure... but first, we sleep! I'm too old to be going 'round fightin' bad guys 24/7..."

" Alright, I'll go get us some rooms at the Hotel, then. Check back with you all in a minute..."

Riku said, heading out the door and toward the Second District.

* * *

Before they knew it, all four members of the group were residing in rooms at the Hotel. Barret, Riku, and Tobi shared one room, while Kae got a room all to herself. Riku explained to the other two that it was because she was a girl and ''girl's need their privacy.''

Tobi understood, but was still a bit upsetted by this. Barret frankly didn't give a d$#. He just wanted sleep!

Tobi coughed and stepped over to Riku, who was staring out the window in silence,

" So...uh... what was that thing earlier? Y'know, in your hand--"

Riku turned suddenly, quickly walking right past the boy,

" Something I'd very much like to forget."

Tobi's brow furrowed and he pouted, lowering his gaze as he clenched his fists,

" But...... that doesn't tell me anything! _You_ don't tell me anything! Why won't you tell me!?"

Riku paused for a moment, raising the hood on his cloak,

" Because... you wouldn't understand."

He then grabbed hold of the door knob and walked out into the hall toward the door to the Second District. Tobi straightened and ran after him,

" If you'd tell me, maybe I _would_!"

His call went unheard by Riku's ears, though, for the man was already gone by the time Tobi reached the doorway. He frowned, spinning angry on his heel and slamming the door shut with his heel as he stepped away. Barret snorted in his sleep due to the noise, but in all did not stir. Tobi frowned and in folding his arms, a few stray locks of crimson hair fell before his eyes,

" I don't get it... I don't get _him...._"

* * *

A heavy trenchcoat strewn about the floor indicated that Kae was not a tidy person. Her room was quickly a mess; a mess which she intended to clean up before they left the next morning. She tossed and turned in her sleep, horrible images of the worst night of her life filling her mind...

_14 years ago_

_Her eyes widened, her pupils becoming smaller as he fell limp, the creature ripping out his heart. She could hear her mother's endless screams and cries from the corner, calling out to him as she tried to push through her assailants,_

_" SORA!! SORA, NO!!!"_

_All noise came to an abrupt halt as soon as she heard a slit from that direction, a low grunt escaping her mother's lips. The Heartless backed away rather quickly, jittery with joy and delight. One of them held her father's heart in it's grasp, the object appearing to be made of crystal. It seemed intrigued by it, constantly turning it over and over until it was taken away. Taken by a man wearing black gloves.... he had a black cloak as well. A hood cast dark shadows over his face, a few silvery locks falling from it's depths. The man straightened, sharply turning his head toward the closet. She gasped, quickly backing away from the small opening and to the far wall._

_A few Heartless skittered over to it, sniffing about the frame for a moment before she heard shouting again,_

_" SORA!? KAIRI!?"_

* * *

Kae screamed, jerking fiercely as she awoke from her nightmare. She sat up, a few beads of cool sweat sliding down her face. Taking in a deep breath, she ran her fingers through her hair and stared down at the blankets covering her legs. Had it been him? Had it been Riku the entire time?


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Riku sat down on a bench in the Third District, a few kids running past with sparklers in hand. There was a huge festival going on in the sleepy town of Traverse and everyone, it seemed, was taking part in it. He sighed, leaning back as he remembered the festivals they used to have when he was a child. The islands... now there was something he missed more than anything. He hadn't even got to see them one last time before their destruction. He hadn't gotten to see Sora and Kairi either....

A smile crossed his lips as three young kids passed by, two boys and a girl. Funny, everything was reminding him of them these days. Everything was reminding him of how things used to be...

_25 years ago_

_" Okay, we'll finish it together! I'll race you!"_

_He sat down on the sand beside Sora, the younger boy's shoes knocking together,_

_" What? Are you kidding?"_

_Kairi giggled, cupping her hands around her mouth,_

_" Ready? Go!"_

_He and Sora exchanged glances, then shot up from the ground quicker than lightning. Each ran with all of their heart, smirking at each other as they ran down the beach. Kairi giggled as she chased after them, the challenge of a race the only thing she knew of to get them going._

_As they bolted down the beach, both boys glanced back at her and she smiled, causing both of them to smile back. He stopped, trying not to laugh as Sora tripped and fell flat on his face. The young boy pushed himself up and shook the sand out of his hair,_

_" No fair! I want a rematch!"_

_He laughed,_

_" Sorry! It's not my fault that you're a klutz!"_

_Kairi giggled, stepping up between them and smacking them both playfully in the chest,_

_" Later you two. We've got work to be doing..."_

* * *

Riku sighed, gazing at a small photo that he held onto dearly. It was all three of them smiling happily at the camera. He had Sora in a headlock, Kairi giggling as she tugged at the boy's cheek. He couldn't see the picture itself, but it was clear in his memory,

" Poor Sora... you were always the one we picked on, weren't you?"

He laughed a little, then tensed as the air suddenly grew cold. No one else noticed the temperature drop, maybe because it was...

Riku glanced over toward the shadows and saw a deep red shape lurking there. That was never a good sign. He stood slowly and glanced around, making sure no one would follow as he went after the mysterious figure hidden in the darkness.

* * *

Tobi threw open the door to Kae's room, which was surprisingly easy to unlock, and ran inside. Through stressful breath, he managed to say,

" What happened!?"

Kae glanced up at him, blinking innocently,

" Nothing... what're you doing here!?"

She then glanced down at herself and noticed that her top was almost exposed, and she pulled up the sheet quickly,

" You unlocked my door, didn't you?"

Tobi straightened and he took a few steps back, hands up in innocence,

" I-I wasn't-I--"

His sentence was cut short as a pillow slammed into his head, it's friends soon following after. Would she ever give him time to defend himself?...Not likely.

* * *

Riku followed the figure to the Alleyway, peering around the corner to see just where it was headed. He raised an eyebrow at it's hideout,

" The Waterway... this must be the guy Cid was talking about..."

As soon as the figure disappeared, Riku glanced around to see if anyone was around to follow, then went after him. He was cautious not to make a sound, knowing that if he did, it may be the last he'd ever make. The darkness he was sensing from this person was strong... too strong for him to compete with. He wouldn't win in a fight against it, he knew that for sure.

It was hard to tred through water without making a sound, but he did it fairly easily, stopping as he came to the entrance of the cave. The figure was now conversing with another of it's kind and in low volume as if not to bring any unwanted listeners up to date on... whatever they were planning. Riku pressed his back up against the wall, his hood raised and shadowing his face. He made an effort to step closer, a step he soon regretted. For not a moment after he shifted weight onto his other foot, a rock fell out of place and caught their attention. They both turned in his direction, their faceless gazes sending chills down his spine. One motioned for the other to leave and they did with much haste. The remaining one stepped over to him, so close that he could feel there breath on his face. Apparently, whoever it was thought he was one of them,

" Have you brought the Heart of the Princess?"

Riku gulped, trying to calm his breathing as he pressed further against the wall,

" I have not."

The figure before him let out an exasperated sigh, more cold breath brushing against his skin,

" Useless is he who does not heed our Master's wishes. You have failed!"

He took out a strange looking weapon and slashed Riku across the chest with it, knocking him down. The hood jolted off of him and the stranger turned his gaze,

" You... you are an outsider. Why have you come here? Be gone!"

Riku pushed himself off the ground, a hand hovering over his wound as the other drew his weapon,

" Not until you tell me what you're planning. Who are you!?"

The figure let out a low chuckle, almost playful in his words,

" Nobody. We are Nobody..."

He then disappeared right before his eyes, the sound of his footsteps heading up the stairs towards Merlin's old place. Riku started after him, but was met with a sharp pain in his chest and he glanced down. The weapon had caused a deep gash in his chest, but it wasn't deep enough to kill him.

Straightening, he hurried up the stairs after Nobody and up to Merlin's house.

* * *

Tobi sighed as he reentered is room, leaning back against the door as he shut it behind him,

" Boy... girls are complicated! Hmm?"

He glanced over at Barret, who was still snoring in his slumber. This caused him to laugh,

" Well, at least you're not angry with me...!"

He then took a step over toward his space on the floor, the wood creaking softly. Barret snorted, sitting up in bed,

" Could you keep it down? I'm tryin' to sleep here!"

* * *

Riku peered around the corner, staff in hand as he entered Merlin's establishment. The house had become quite dusty over the past twenty-five years, cobwebs and bird nests now adorning the walls like decorations. He tensed as a bird flapped about violently, cawing out in mourning. A crow. Oh, how he hated crows. Maleficent's faithful servant was a crow... at least before _he_ came along. He shuddered to think of how he used to serve her, thinking of how he was only trying to ''help''. Help, yeah right! All he'd managed to do was hurt everyone and get the two people he loved most to hate him! That sure "helped" things...

Riku tightened his grip on the staff as Nobody appeared in his line of sight. Nobody turned slightly, speaking with a hint of anger,

" I see you have come. I assumed you'd heed our warning and stay away."

Riku smirked slightly,

" I've been known to be stubborn sometimes."

Nobody turned fully to greet him,

" I see. Then I suppose you shall have to be punished."

He again took out the strange weapons from before and disappeared. Riku eased up a bit, hoping to get a better view of his enemy's position this way.

_Slice._

Riku grunted as he staggered forward, quickly spinning around on his heel to avoid another attack,

_' Well, so much for that!'_

He brought up his staff to block an oncoming attack from Nobody, pushing the man away with his booted foot. Nobody staggered back and disappeared, Riku flipping backward and landing in a defensive postion a few feet away.

He straightened himself, holding the staff out in both hands before him. Then closing his eyes, he soon saw a red figure in front him. He was about to make his move, but was suddenly attacked from behind as another Nobody grabbed both ends of the staff and pulled it back, using it to strangle him. They rose him in the air and he felt his feet raise off the ground, the tips of his boots now just barely touching the floor. Nobody #1 reappeared in front of him, chuckling a bit at Riku's dilemma,

" You might as well give in, mortal... you are no match."

Riku grunted, glancing back and forth between the two Nobodys,

" Watch me!"

Releasing his grip on the staff, he elbowed the one detaining him and was satisfied at how quickly it released him. He then grabbed his staff as it began to fall and twirled it above his head, quickly bringing it to his side. With a quick movement, Riku spun and slammed the end of the rod into the first Nobody's stomach. Nobody #1 grunted, twirling both of his odd weapons in twin circles. He then charged Riku, disappating just before coming into contact with him. Riku tensed, sensing that his movements were too quick to put a stop to them. He let out a loud cry, his eyes widening as Nobody reappeared right next to him, ducking low and digging the weapon into his side...


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Tobi yawned, scratching his head as he sat up. He then noticed that the moon was shining in though the window.

_' Morning already? I must've missed Riku come in, then...'_

He stood stretching his arms above his head for a moment before glancing down at Riku's bed. It looked as though it hadn't been slept in... at all. He tensed, turning toward Barret. The 60 year-old was already up and about, his bed looking very much like it had been slept in. Tobi padded over to the bathroom, where Barret was brushing his teeth,

" Hey, Barret? Have you seen Riku lately?"

Barret spat out the minty foam in his mouth and shook his head,

" Not since last night, kid."

" Oh..."

Barret frowned, turning toward him,

" Why?"

They both jumped at the sound of the door creaking open and Tobi straightened as Riku stepped in,

" Hey, where were you?"

Riku shut the door behind him, gingerly placing a hand on his side,

" Out."

Barret smirked as rinsed his mouth and spat cold water into the sink, wiping his face on the bathroom towel,

" So you got drunk or met a woman. Which is it?"

Stepping into the hallway, Barret straightened as soon as he noticed Riku's strange behavior. The silvery-haired man was leaning back against the door, hand clutching his side tightly as he took in deep, stressful breaths of air. Barret frowned, stepping into the main room,

" You okay, man?"

Riku paused and glanced up at him, waving the question away like a nat,

" Yeah, yeah... I'm fine. Just a little tired, is all..."

He started for his bed, but stumbled as a sharp pain cut through his side like a knife and fell to his knees. Tobi straightened and hurried over to him,

" Riku!"

Barret raised an eyebrow as Tobi helped him up,

" There is somethin' wrong wit ch'you."

Riku glanced up at him, then turned his gaze to the floor, where a few drops of blood had landed and were beginning to make their permanent mark in the blue carpet. Tobi tensed and frowned, his voice very calm and at the same time afraid,

" You're bleeding.... Riku, what happened?"

* * *

Kae stepped out of the shower and dried herself off, wrapping a towel loosely around her as she entered the main room. She frowned as she heard muffled speech coming from the guys' room and leaned her ear up against the wall. Barret sounded a little too serious for the morning hours,

" What happened to you? And don't think I ain't know somethin's wrong. What happened, kid?"

She straightened and jerked her clothes on, hastily tying her hair up as she exited her room. Opening the door to the next room, she was surprised at what she saw. Riku was shifting uncomfortably in a chair beside one of the beds, his expression and tone bearing that of extreme pain,

" Y'know that guy Cid was talkin' about? The one by the waterway?"

Barret raised an eyebrow,

" Yeah...?"

Riku drew in a deep breath through clenched teeth, tipping his head back a bit,

" I met him."

He tightened his grip on his side for a moment, than relaxed again. Barret folded his arms, closing his eyes as his ''fatherly instincts'' took over,

" That's what ya get for goin' off alone, ya jack%$$! I told you, ya can't keep doing this! You's gonna get yo' self killed!!"

Riku grinned, his toothy smile aggrivating Barret even more,

" Ah, but I'm not dead yet, am I?"

Barret clenched his fist tightly and growled,

" D%$$#t, kid!! Gaaagggh!!"

He then threw his arms up in the air and stormed out the door, Riku chuckling softly as he slammed the door. He winced and stood up, heading for the bathroom.

Tobi straightened, his tail twitching nervously behind him,

" Need any help, Riku?"

Riku shook his head and waved him off,

" No, I'm fine... I just need to get this cleaned up a bit. Besides, it's not that serious..."

The azure boy nodded and headed for the door, shouting as he opened it,

" Hey, Barret! You done bein' pissed yet?"

Riku smiled, shaking his head as he took out some bandages. He then straightened, sensing that Kae was still in the room... and staring at him,

" What?"

Kae blinked, straightening as she headed for the door,

" Nothing."

She nearly slammed the door behind her and went back to her room, leaning back against the door frame. Narrowing her eyes, she frowned,

" There's something about that man...."

* * *

For the rest of that day and late into that night, Kae and Barret trained diligently, Tobi took in his surroundings and explored Traverse Town, and Riku? He was forced to stay in bed and rest, despite the fact that he'd already used a potion to heal himself. Barret said that potions never really worked. He was right. They may have sealed up the wounds, but they sure as H$# didn't stop the pain caused by them. At least not any more. Potions today were a lot weaker than the ones they used back then.

At about 1 or 2 am, when everyone was fast asleep in their beds, Riku tossed and turned in a feverish nightmare. He frowned constantly, tossing and turning as if beating his way through an entire army of Heartless. Softly whispered cries escaped his lips, those cries steadily becoming louder,

" No... run.... get away...."

_

* * *

_

_An ebony-haired woman with soft, glowing skin was standing in the middle of a forest by a small cottage, her back turned as a man stepped up behind her. She wore a pure white dress, her hair tied back in a half ponytail that was lined with white flowers. There was a pure white bangle on her left wrist, a charm bracelet on her right, and a silver chain dangled from her right ankle, the chain accented by a sky-bluish, crystalline star. She knelt down to scoop up a single pink flower that grew in the light of the forest floor, the cloaked man stepping up closely to her. A small baby before her reached up with tiny hands to grasp her wrist. Giggling at the child, she sniffed the flower deeply and plucked it from the ground, turning with a smile as a figure shadowed over them. Her eyes widened and she gasped at who she saw, a strong wind causing the cloak to batter and block her from view._

* * *

Riku woke with a start and shot up quickly, glancing around the room. Tobi was sound asleep in the chair beside his bed and Barret's snoring noted that the man was definitely asleep. Riku's shoulders relaxed and he reached over to the nightstand, taking the black blindfold and tying it tightly around his eyes. He could hardly see a thing without his blindfold on, and as soon as he tied the last knot, things became drastically clearer. Pushing the covers away, he crossed the room and took his cloak from the rack, slipping it on and zipping it up. He grabbed his boots and shoved them on his feet, tying them up as if he were angry at them. Then grabbing his staff, he headed out into the hall and then into Traverse Town.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Sighing, Riku pushed open the double white doors and stepped inside a warm and loving home. The lights were always on here, and he'd always been welcomed ever since he could remember coming to Traverse Town. A healthy, full-grown dalmation ran to him, panting happily. He smiled and placed a hand on it's head, rubbing it ever so gently,

" Hey, Patch. Any pups yet?"

Patch continued to pant, barking happily as he ran into the next room. Riku straightened and ran after him, smiling as he came into the living room. There on the floor, lying curled up by the stomach of Patch's girl, Clover, were six little newborn pups about the size of a man's palm. The puppies were pure white with faint black spots. They breathed in and out slowly, the soft wheeze from their throats soothing to listen to. Riku smiled and knelt down, gently resting his hand atop one their small bodies. Clover seemed to tense, then calmed once Riku moved his hand to rub her head,

" You must be tired, girl."

She closed her eyes and scrunched her nose, her strange indication of happiness. Riku stood and glanced down at Patch with a smile,

" Hope you don't mind, but I've gotta be going now. Good luck with 'em..."

He said, stepping out the door. Patch's ears raised and he tilted his head, then went back to tending to his wife and babies.

Riku leaned back against the door to the Dalmation's house, head lowered to the ground. Sighing, he tilted his head back and gazed up at the stars, spotting one brilliant one begin to fade and disappear from the sky altogether. Shaking his head, he sighed again as he headed for the First District, a light mist filling the air . As he reached the end of the alleyway, he took notice that all of the festive events taking place the night before had ceased, and that the entire Second District was completely deserted. The night air grew cold here and a single paper skimmed the asphalt like a skater on ice, dancing past him with grace and beauty. He raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the door to the First District.

There stood one of the Nobodys from before and thinking quickly, Riku darted behind the nearest wall to keep from their sight, he wasn't ready to fight them again... not yet. The Nobody seemed to sense his presence and turned in his direction, beginning it's journey over to the wall. Riku tightly gripped his staff, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face and soaking into his blindfold. If this one was the same as before, he would surely be in for it. The Nobody's footsteps echoed coldly throughout the town, the rain amplfying as Riku listened to the steps intently. It was coming closer.

Gripping his staff tightly, Riku nodded. He was tired of waiting for it to attack, it was his turn to get the upperhand. Shooting up from where he sat, Riku spun, expertly swerving his staff to knock the Nobody's head clear from it's shoulders. They seemed surprised at his sudden action, for they shoved out a spear and tried to steer his staff off course. They even shrieked at him,

" Whoa! Kid, hold up a minute!!"

Riku stopped, straightening as he heard the man's voice,

" Cid? What're you doin' out here?"

Cid placed a hand on his chest and drew the spear back, shoving it into the folds of his cloak,

" I should be askin' you the same thing."

Riku lowered his weapon, twirling it around a bit as he returned to the sheath on his back,

" Couldn't sleep."

Cid nodded, turning back for the First District,

" Yeah? Well, if you're that bored you can come to my shop. No need in you wanderin' around here... who knows what trouble you'll get yerself into."

Riku straightened, frowning as the man chuckled at him,

" Hey!"

* * *

Cid went back behind his counter, Riku sitting on a stool by the counter and head bowed to the wood linings of the table-top. Grunting, Cid heaved a large box onto the top shelf behind his counter,

" Whew... d%$# boxes get heavier by the year."

Riku remained silent, mind focused on the dancing light of a small crystal now instead of wood lining. It glowed softly from within it's glassy prison and he sighed, gazing into the shard endlessly,

" I'm too old, Cid."

Cid stopped what he was doing and glanced up, an eyebrow raised as a cigarette hung loosely from his lips,

" Say that again?"

Riku shook his head, rubbing his eyes in tiredness, ,

" I'm too old, Cid. I don't think I can keep this up. It's hard getting up in the morning knowing that you can't fight the way you used to... y'know? Back when you were just a kid? It's all so...tiring."

Cid nodded,

" I know whatcha mean, kid. Sometimes I swing my arm to hard and it goes all outta joint like this and--"

Riku visibly winced and shook his head fiercely,

" No, no...not like that. I think it... I think it may be him again. I think he's trying to take over. It feels like my heart's being ripped in half everytime I fight, like I'm one step closer to snapping. I can't even remember when this happened! Last thing I remember... really and truthfully... is building a dinky old raft with a thought in my head and a dream in my heart and both my best friends by my side... What happened to that, Cid? Why can't we just go back to the way things used to be?"

Cid silenced, scrathcing the back of his head nervously. Riku sighed, shaking his head,

" I wish there was a way... a way I could go back and change everything that I've done in the past. Then maybe... I'd still be on that island... building that dinky old raft with my son--"

Cid coughed, his gaze lowered from Riku's,

" Well, there is... a rumour."

At the sound of this, Riku straightened, his senses pinned on Cid's every move,

" How?"

Cid shook his head,

" I'm not sure, but I've been hearin' a lot lately from people who seen those cloaked guys walkin' around, that they're lookin' for the Keyblade and the heart of a Princess. I think they might mean..."

Riku nodded, lowering his head in thought,

" Sora and Kairi."


	10. Chapter Nine

* * *

Chapter Nine

It was about 4:00 in the morning by the time Riku re-entered the Hotel. Slowly, quietly, and carefully, he opened the door and stepped inside, as to not disturb anyone. As soon as he turned around, he straightened quickly. Barret was glaring him right in the face. Riku gulped and smiled sheepishly, Barret folding his arms over his chest,

" An' jes where the H%$# have you been?"

Coughing, Riku stepped past the burly man and hung his cloak on the rack, glancing down at Tobi. The blue-skinned boy was fast asleep, sprawled out messily over the bed. The sheets were halfway off the side, Tobi's shirt halfway up his body and revealing a dinky set of abs. Tobi was a very scrawny kid. Riku snorted and stepped over to the bedside, grabbing the fallen sheet and pulling it back onto the bed. He then gently pulled it up to the boy's neck and tucked him in,

" Cid told me somethin' I think you may want to hear. It's about Sora."

* * *

" So, you think it's gon' work?"

Riku shrugged, arms folded and leaning against the wall,

" Who knows... but I figure it's worth a shot. And if it does work, than maybe the universe'll go back to the way it was before. I just can't believe the door is open again..."

Barret snorted, glancing out the window at a few dazed Heartless on the street corner,

" I know.... hey, maybe that's where Sora went off to. Maybe he's tryin' to figure out a way to close the door. You ever think of that?"

Riku sighed, poking at his forehead in thought,

" All the time... but there's just somethings that don't make any sense. If Sora were at the door, wouldn't he, Donald, and Goofy have shut it by now? And where would Kairi be? It's all just so.... confusing. And the fact that I haven't heard anything from them in so long.... I just don't know anymore. Cid said one of the Nobodys referred to Sora as "lost". Both of us are clueless as to what it means, but I figure we should find him before anything else happens."

Barret nodded, stepping away from the window and toward the silver-haired man,

" Okay, but what's that got to do with Kairi?"

Riku slumped his shoulders, raising a hand up to massage his temples,

" That's just it. I don't know what any of this would have to do with her.... unless the Nobodys are in need of the Princesses of Heart again... but last I heard, the only two left were Alice and Aurora."

Barret shrugged,

" Maybe they just need three this time?"

" No, that's not it. You need all seven Princesses of Heart to complete the Keyhole. Three just... doesn't cut it."

Riku turned and headed for the door, picking up his staff on the way out. Barret blinked, stepping up behind him as he reached for the knob,

" Where ya goin'?"

Riku paused a moment and sighed, staring straight at the door,

" I need to clear my head."

Barret sighed as the door shut again and glanced over at Tobi. He was still asleep, his dreams most likely peaceful in nature. Barret shook his head, turning his gaze from the boy,

" It's a real shame, kid..."

* * *

Kae frowned, shooting behind a lamp post as soon as Riku entered her vision. She didn't think anyone would be out this late and frowned,

" Especially not him... I wonder what he's up to."

She blinked, peering around to the street. He was gone. Straightening, she frowned and quietly hurried to the corner of the nearest building closest to the road. He re-entered her sights as he was slowly walking down the road toward the...

" What's he going there for?"

Again, she snuck around to several hiding spots to confirm what she was seeing. Sure enough, seconds later Riku was entering the Alleyway.

Raising an eyebrow, she quietly followed after him.

_' He's heading to that place Cid warned us about... again!'_

Kae gasped as he stepped toward the Waterway and turned his gaze to the sky. The stars were twinkling up above and she distinctly heard him sigh, confused by the last words he said before entering,

" Hikari...."

He then disappeared into the shadows of the Waterway, the only sound that of the constant slosh of high waters. She clenched her fists, crouching low to the ground as she darted toward the entrance. Pressing herself firmly against the wall, she peered around the corner to see if she could spot him, but she saw nothing but darkness. With a low growl of annoyance, she slowly slid her foot to the edge of the concrete and scooted herself along the wall, closing her eyes as she inserted her foot into the murky, greenish-looking water. As she quietly submerged the lower half of her body into it, she instantly felt a chill sneak up her spine and crawl into her limbs. She grimaced, her body now covered in a slimy residue. Groaning, she slowly sloshed her way into the darkened passage,

_'Maybe I should've thought this through...'_

" Is someone there?"

Kae tensed and quickly darted behind a rock formation jutting up from the water's surface. It was covered in slime and by the time she'd secured it as a hiding place so was she... up to her collar. At this point, she felt so disgusting that she just wanted to scream out and shake herself off, but if she did so, Riku would find out she was there. She hoped he didn't already know.

* * *

Riku frowned, turning back for the stairs,

" Must just be my imagination."

Starting his journey once more, Riku ventured to the head of the stairs, where a small stone lie hovering in wait. He smirked, crouching low to the ground. With one mighty thrust upward, he was soaring up through the hollow shaft with great speed, landing on the wood flooring of Merlin's home with no trouble at all. His smirk broadened,

_' Still got it...'_

" Have you come for a second round?"

Riku spun on his heel as the floor panel rose, revealing to him another member of the Nobodys. A deep chuckle emerged from under the hood, and he faintest smile could be seen,

" Foolish boy. You have no hope to win. Just as _she_ never did..."

Riku tightened his grip on his staff, his eyes narrowing behind his blindfold as a low, menacing growl escaped his throat,

" Shut up...."

The Nobody raised a hand a waved him on, smirking evilly all the while,

" Try and make me."

Clenching his teeth tightly, he charged at the cloaked-one with a snarl that soon turned to a yell. He swung the rod with remarkable expertise, the silver charms hanging from the end jingling as it aimed to connect with the Nobody's head. It aimed... and missed?

" D%$#!"

The man chuckled, reappearing behind him,

" You didn't think I'd let it be that easy for you, did you? How pathetic!"

Riku turned, growling angrily at his enemy. The Nobody just smirked,

" But, I must say... you are quite fast for your age."

Just as his sentence finished out, a small slice formed in the raised hood of the cloak, causing it to fall away. The hood fell to the ground with a flap and now revealed to Riku was the image of a boy just around Tobi's age. The boy had short, black hair and ice blue eyes,

" I'm surprised you were able to do it... considering how feeble you are now."

Riku clenched his fist tightly, raising it near his face,

" You're just full of insults today, aren't you, kid?"

The boy raised an eyebrow, shrugging slightly,

" I dunno, Grandpa. Just don't get so angry, okay? Heard it's bad for the blood pressure."

His growl soon turned to a yell and Riku charged at the boy a second time,

" I am NOT old!!"

As he charged, Riku noticed that the boy wasn't even attempting to move, but that he just stood there with a sick grin on his face. Swinging his staff around to the opposite hand, he swiped the boy across the cheek, smirking as the boy's eyebrow twitched for an instant. He landed behind the boy in a low crouch, soon standing and turned to face him.

His smile soon faded as his enemy began to laugh,

" What's so funny?"

Shaking his head, the boy turned,

" It's nothing. Just an eye for an eye, that's all."

Riku frowned, shocked to find that he could sense any trace of blood on his opponent. He was also shocked when a small slit appeared across the stomach of his duster. It even sliced the zipper. The boy laughed out loud, cherishing the look of shock etched on this man's features,

" Not so fun when you're the one getting hit... is it, Riku?"

Riku's breath caught in his throat,

_' This is bad... that guy, that speed... Any closer and I'd be lyin' dead right now! Good thing he just snagged the cloth...'_

His shocked expression soon changed into edgy confusion,

" You could've killed me. Why didn't you?"

His opponent turned, smirking,

" Let's just say it's not up to me."

Riku raised an eyebrow, remaining silent. The boy coughed and continued,

" My Master has a proposition for you--"

Cringing, Riku frowned, sending the boy a bit of sarcasm,

" Sorry, I'm not into the whole "guy-guy" thing. But thanks anyway, I'm flattered."

His opponent growled, his eyebrow beginning to twitch,

" That's not what I mean... My Master wishes that you participate in a... race... I suppose you could say."

Riku's voice rose in interest,

" Oh yeah? What kind of race?"

The boy smirked,

" I knew you'd ask. You know about the Legend, do you not? That man, Cid, told you? Well, if not, then here it goes. Nearly 20 years ago, the Keyblade and it's master disappeared. It is said that the Keyblade dispersed into four seperate parts, the hilt, the base, the blade, and the keychain. These parts were scattered throughout the universe, embedding themselves only in hearts like that of the Keybearer himself. If collected, the parts themselves are turned into rings, while I'm afraid it's a bit more dire for their bearers. If the ring is taken from a bearer's heart, the heart of the bearer slowly withers and dies, as does the human. Once all rings are collected, the Keyblade would reappear, and instantly return to the Keybearer...."


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

" Nearly 20 years ago, the Keyblade and it's master disappeared. It is said that the Keyblade dispersed into four seperate parts, the hilt, the base, the blade, and the keychain. These parts were scattered throughout the universe, embedding themselves only in hearts like that of the Keybearer himself. If collected, the parts themselves are turned into rings, while I'm afraid it's a bit more dire for their bearers. If the ring is taken from a bearer's heart, the heart of the bearer slowly withers and dies, as does the human. Once all rings are collected, the Keyblade would reappear, and instantly return to the Keybearer...."

Riku nodded,

" Alright, so what's the deal? What's your master proposing?"

The boy nodded,

" Right. My Master proposes to you, a race. A race of which speed and strength are of the upmost importance."

He began to pace around Riku, hands firmly set behind his back,

" Gather as many rings as you can. There is only 4, so you must be precise. But... should anyone other than you or one of my colleagues capture the ring, the race is forfeited on your part, and the ring automatically is ours. Do we have a deal?"

He held out a hand so that their deal may become final. Riku frowned,

_' Attaining those rings would mean killing all those people.... but it'd bring Sora's location out in the open. And then I'd finally be able to apologize. But still...'_

Riku clasped the boy's hand tightly,

" Deal."

The boy smirked,

" Thank you so much for your cooperation, Riku. My name is Darien. It's been a pleasure..."

Darien turned away from him, disappearing instantly as soon as he began walking away. Riku kept his attention in the area where Darien had just been, his fists tightly clenched and shaking.

* * *

Kae narrowed her eyes, her deadly glare now focused on the silver-haired man standing in the center of the old wizard's house. She snarled silently, her hands gripping the wall so tightly that her nails scraped a few paint chips from it's surface,

_' I knew he wasn't to be trusted...'_

Kae quietly turned the corner and leaned back against the wall, out of Riku's possible sight,

_' But still... if I could get my hands on that Keyblade... maybe time would go in reverse and the worlds could start all over. And that would mean...'_

She glanced back around the corner and saw Riku heading her way. Quickly, she retreated from sight behind the wall,

" I'd have to help _him._"

* * *

" Where the h%$# is he!? I swear, he better not be goin' and gettin' himself in trouble again!"

Seconds later, the door opened to reveal Barret's topic of choice. Tobi smiled and waved, the moon shining in through the window as a mock-sun for this world,

" Hey, Riku."

Barret growled, his one fist clenched as his gun arm shook violently,

" Where the h%$# have you been!?"

Riku paused, tapping a finger on his chin as he walked passed,

" Hmm, deja vu..."

Barret straightened, his shouts nearly loud enough to wake the dead,

" WHAT!? DEJA VU, MY %$$! NOW, WHERE WERE YOU!?"

" He was at the Waterway."

Riku stopped in his tracks, his body deathly still as Kae's voice travelled behind him,

_' Does she know?'_

Kae noticed Riku's stature and narrowed her eyes,

" I saw him head there while I was training in the Alleyway."

Well, not _much_ trouble, anyway.

Barret's eyebrow visibly twitched, his gaze directed at Riku,

" Oh, he was, was he? Did he go in?"

Kae paused a moment, contemplating on whether or not she should tell them the truth. She _would _need his help later on and if he wasn't there to give it, then she was sunk,

" I don't know. I was too busy with my training. I only caught a glimpse of him before he was gone."

She saw Riku's body lax and clenched her fists,

_' You've no right to be allowed to relax after what you did... you murderer.'_

" You went in, didn't you?"

Riku smiled, lying back on the bed next to where Tobi was sitting with both hands behind his head and his eyes closed,

" You ain't got any proof..."

Tobi blinked, poking at a tear in Riku's cloak,

" Um, Riku? What's that slit right there?"

Riku's eyes shot open, nearly bulging out of their sockets as he glanced up at Barret and laughed nervously,

" Heh heh... H-hi Barret, heh heh. Have I ever told you how much I _love_ you?"

Barret clenched his fist, suddenly pouncing and grabbing Riku by the neck. Riku smiled, both hands up in innocence as Barret fiercely shook him,

" YOU DUMB%$$! AFTER I JUST GOT DONE TELLIN' YA BEFORE, YOU GO OUT AND PULL ANOTHER D%$# STUNT!! WHAT THE H%$# IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

A bead of sweat slid down Riku's forehead as he spoke, Barret still forcefully shaking him,

" Hey, but at least... I didn't get hurt this... time, right?"

" IT DON'T MATTER! YOU AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE GOIN' OFF ON YOUR OWN ANYWAY YOU STUPID S#%$! WHAT MADE YOU GO OUT AND DO A DUMB THING LIKE THAT TWICE!?"

" I'm sorry! I'm SORRY!!"

" D%$# RIGHT, YOU'RE SORRY! YA JACK%$$!!"

* * *

"Did you tell him?"

Darien frowned, kneeling before another cloaked entity... his Master,

" Should I have, sire?"

"No. He needn't know of our plans just yet..."

The cloaked one began to chuckle lowly, causing Darien to flinch as it echoed through out the empty rooms and halls of the castle. A ten-foot tall case in the corner of the adjoining room glowed suspisciously with green liquid. Within it was the body of a man, with messy brown hair and tanned skin. He looked to be the age of 25 and a cracked crown pendant floated loosely around his neck in the glowing goo...

* * *

" So, I guess it's safe to say yer leavin'."

Riku nodded with a slight smile at Cid's frown,

" Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for all your help Cid."

Cid spat out his gum and it hit the trash by his counter with a ting. He then pulled out a cigarette from one of his pants pockets and lit it, smoking it happily,

" No, problem."

Tobi raised an eyebrow at this, staring at him skeptically,

" Um, Cid? Isn't that gum supposed to help you stop smoking?"

Cid let the cigarette hang loosely from his lips as he spoke, adjusting the goggles on his head,

" Yeah, it does. Now I'm down to one a day."

Turning to Riku, Cid pulled something from his pocket and tossed it to him,

" Here, take her off my hands. I won't be needin' her anymore."

Riku caught the object in one hand and glanced down to see that a set of keys was now lying in his palm. He blinked and glanced up at the older man,

" But Cid, your Gummi Ship? She's your pride and joy, isn't she? Why give me--?"

Cid shrugged, scratching his head as he disappeared into the back room,

" Figure I'll be long dead before I use her again. Take her. She's still got a lot of life left."

Barret nodded,

" And we got a radio right here if ever you need us."

Riku blinked, turning to his friend,

" You mean you're leaving us?"

Barret nodded again, folding his arms,

" 'Fraid I have to, kid. Sixty ain't a good age to be fightin' no more."

Riku shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned,

" Oh..."

A smile crossed Barret's face and he clamped a hand around Riku's shoulders, shaking him slightly,

" And besides... you're a big kid, now. You can take care of yourself!"

Riku shrugged, closing his eyes for a moment,

" 'S not that. I'll just miss havin' you around to annoy all the time, that's all."

Barret clenched his fist tightly and whacked him fiercely on the back of the head,

" Lil' jerk. I swear..."

Riku clamped a hand on the back of his head and smiled up at him,

" Aw, cmon, Barret. You know you'll miss it, too."

Barret frowned, folding his arms again and turning away from the younger man,

" Will not, ya d%$# punk."

Riku smirked, turning for the door as he slung a bag of supplies over his shoulder and waved behind him,

" Well, see ya around, guys."

Tobi waved shortly, then quickly hurried out behind him. Cid glanced over at Barret and raised an eyebrow. It looked like the man was gonna cry,

" Eh, Barret? Somethin' wrong?"

Barret opened his eyes, a flood of tears streaming down his cheeks,

" I'm gonna miss that d%$# punk."

Cid nearly choked on his cigarette, his goggles falling down over his eyes as he frantically beat at his chest.

* * *

Riku turned to Tobi once they'd exited the World Gate and motioned with his thumb toward a nearby grassy plain,

" Remember those stories I used to tell you when you were little, kid? Take a look."

Tobi and Kae turned their heads toward the plain and straightened. Sitting right at the center of the field was a beautiful red and gold Gummi Ship, sparkling in the newly found sun. Apparently, this field was a dimension off from Traverse Town. Tobi gasped, his eyes wide and blinking,

" Whoa! That's a Gummi Ship!? Holy crap!!"

Kae blinked, remembering the stories her father told her when she was young. He was always so happy when he spoke of such things, Gummi Ships, talking animals, princesses... but she'd figured they'd all just been stories! Her bright blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, the auburn of her hair just as shiny as when a sun had still existed on Destiny Island. Surprisingly, she _did _have a tan, slight as it was, but it was still there. Tobi glanced over at her and blinked, quickly turning his gaze as a soft, purply hue crossed his cheeks. Riku sensed this and smirked, slowly heading down toward the ship,

" Are you two just gonna stand there all day?"

Tobi straightened and hastily sped after him, motioning for Kae to follow,

" C'mon, Kae! Let's go!"

Kae blinked, jumping back into reality as she watched Tobi head for the ship. Now that she could finally see him clearly, she found that he wasn't scaly after all, but that his skin was fair and smooth... almost like that of a Heartless. Shaking her head, she hurried after them to the ship.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

" Hey, Riku? What does this button do?"

" Hey! Don't touch that!"

" Why not?"

" Cause I said so, now get your %$$ back in a seat!"

Tobi pouted, leaning back again,

" Fine."

Placing both hands behind his head, he glanced over at Kae. She was silent and seemingly staring at her reflection in the window. He blinked, clearing his throat and turning his gaze to stare at the ceiling,

" Hey, Kae? What was your hometown like? Y'know, where you grew up?"

Riku stiffened, his grip on the controls loosening a bit. A faded image appeared in his mind, kind of like an old film reel. Sora was sitting, laid back behind Kairi, who was staring out at the ocean. The boy's voice echoed through his mind like a ghost, his smiling face a haunting sight,

_' Say, Kairi? What was your hometown like? Y'know where you grew up?'_

_

* * *

_

_Kairi giggled, her eyes focused on the gorgeously blue ocean ahead of her,_

_" I told you before. I don't remember!"_

_Sora frowned, raising an eyebrow,_

_" Nothing at all?"_

_Kairi paused for a moment, frowning,_

_" Nothing."_

_Sora stopped before speaking and turned,_

_" Riku, look out!"_

_Straightening, he nearly dropped the log he was carrying as he stepped out of the Seaside Shack,_

_" Huh?"_

* * *

Riku blinked, jerking back as he saw a huge rock in the path of the ship. He immediately steered the ship away from it, Tobi and Kae giving him incredulous stares as they narrowly escaped what was almost certain death. Riku took in short, quick spouts of air as he stared out at the glittering stars ahead of him. Tobi gulped and leaned over the seat, holding tightly to the chair as the Gummi Ship came to a complete stop,

" R-Riku?"

Riku coughed, blinking repeatedly as he lowered his head,

" I... I uh... I--"

He stiffened again as a thin, glowing hand softly touched his. Turning slowly, the pale yet sunny face of a woman with her ebony hair in braids was smiling at him. She wore a white cloak with a golden fasten, an equally white dress underneath. Her nails were painted a silvery blue, and a charm bracelet hung from her right wrist, the other wrist adorned by a single white bangle. A silver ring rested on her right ring finger and she giggled warmly, poking at one of the controls,

_" It's alright, silly... just relax!"_

Her eyes opened, revealing softly glowing emeralds. Riku blinked, staring wide-eyed at her in shock.

" Riku?"

He blinked and shook his head, her image instantly disappearing from sight. Glancing back at Tobi, he frowned,

" What?"

Tobi coughed and shook his head as he leaned back,

" N-Nothin'! It's nothing."

Riku pressed the button the ghost previously pointed to and the ship whirred to life, the group resuming their pace to the next world.

* * *

The trio landed in a desert area, a barren wasteland of sand. Up ahead was the town gates and as they began to make their way to them, Tobi cleared his throat,

" Hey, Riku? What...um... what was that back there? I mean.... you looked a little out of--"

Riku quickly sped up his steps, almost angrily heading for the double doors,

" It was nothing and I'd rather not talk about it."

Tobi stopped, watching the man storm off and throw the doors wide open,

"--it."

Kae gasped at the ghastly image that was this town. Town...? More like ruins. She glanced all around at the charred remains of humans and animals alike, gasping at the lifeless shells of screaming children strewn about across the square. The buildings themselves weren't in much better of a condition, either. Half the buildings were reduced to burning embers, the other half on their way to becoming burning embers. Kae lightly covered her mouth, glancing all around her at the scene,

" What... what is this place?"

Riku stepped up beside her, staring at the once golden palace in the distance. Now it was cracked and crumbled, the ceiling nearly collapsed as far as he could tell. He closed his eyes, remembering when he was last here,

" This.... is Agrabah."


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

" This... is Agrabah."

Kae gasped, turning sharply to peer into the shadows beside her. She'd sworn she'd seen someone back there. Tobi scratched his head, his tail twitching sharply behind him,

" Kind of a dump, idn't it?"

" It didn't used to be. Not until you outsiders showed up."

They all turned around to see a boy about the age of 16 standing by the front gates. He held a wooden staff in his hands and was dressed in a white and gold torn vest and black pants. His feet were bare,

" Yahhhh!"

He quickly charged them, his sights set on Riku more than anyone else. The boy's mahogany eyes glimmered with anger and Riku could sense the anger within the boy as he drew closer. Just as it seemed that the boy's attack would connect with Riku's head, Riku quickly swerved to the side, the boy stumbling past him, dumbfounded. Sharply, the boy spun to meet Riku's gaze, but was startled when he saw a blindfold there. This made him growl,

" Hiding behind a mask... how low. It's all _your_ fault that we're stuck here! Yahh!"

He thrust his staff at Riku again, shocked to see how quickly the man blocked it with his own, metal staff. The boy clenched his teeth tightly and let out a low growl that soon became a battle cry as he raised his staff over his head, ready to strike. Then came the cry,

" Ahmal!"

The boy, Ahmal, turned sharply, his staff still raised in the air. Riku took the opportunity to use the end of his staff to jab the boy in the gut, knocking him over. Ahmal coughed, glaring up at him with anger.

A young woman about a year older than him hurried and ran to him, kneeling down at his side and draping herself over him, she cried,

" Ahmal!"

She then turned her gaze to Riku, her eyes welling with tears,

" Please! I beg you, spare him! He's just a young boy, please!"

Riku straightened, Tobi stepping up beside him,

" Uh, we weren't planning on hurting him, lady. He attacked us first!"

The young woman nodded, holding one hand at her heart,

" Yes, but please forgive him. He's young yet... he needs time to distinguish our allies from our enemies."

Riku returned his staff to the sheath on his back,

" Who exactly are you and why did you attack us? What happened here?"

The woman helped young Ahmal to his feet, her delicate, tanned hand still clasping his arm,

" Forgive me. My name is Salene and this is my brother, Ahmal. And as for your other question, my brother thought you were one of the intruders... one of the men who killed our parents nearly 12 years ago. The intruders wore the same thing as you, sir. I deeply apologize for the way he reacted to you."

Riku blinked, glancing down at Ahmal. He had his head lowered in shame and bit his lip strongly to keep from eye contact with anyone.

This made him smile,

" It's alright. Just try not to knock my head off next time we meet. C'mon, you two... we'd better be heading off."

Tobi frowned, turning to him,

" But, Riku? We just got here--"

" Excuse me..."

They all three turned around to see Salene step toward them,

" Excuse me, but did you say your name was "Riku"?"

* * *

" So, you're the Legend we've all been hearing about. My, my... there are some pretty wild tales about you, young man."

The trio had been lead by Salene and Ahmal to a nearby Loft, where an old wise man waited for their return. He seemed frail, from the looks of it was pushing 90, and no longer had any pupils that could be distinguished. Tobi gulped at the sight of him, then smirked and tapped Riku a bit,

" Hey, look Riku! It's you in 50 years."

He then wasn't shocked to receive a forceful elbow in his gut.

" I knew you'd be coming my boy... my visions lead me to that truth. It seems they were correct... you are the one which Ansem chose, are you not?"

Tobi blinked, glancing up at Riku. The man had chosen to remain dead silent and had lowered his head, seemingly staring at the floor. The old man smirked,

" Call me, Rasheed. I am... or _was... _the Saltan's royal vizier."

Kae raised an eyebrow in question, her hands on her hips,

" Was?"

Salene nodded in response,

" Yes... the royal family was murdered 12 years ago with the coming of the intruders. My brother and I.... we are the only two who survived."

Tobi blinked,

" You're royalty? But I thought you just said--"

" We're allowing the intruders to believe that we've died so that maybe they'll leave this place," Ahmal said calmly, gazing out vondly at the Palace Ruins,

" We don't want anymore trouble."

Riku turned to Salene,

" I suppose this would mean that your parents were Aladdin and Jasmine."

She blinked, puzzled,

" Why...yes. Did you know them?"

He scratched his head, turning away from her,

" Not formally..."

The old man smirked,

" I can see you are a man who is not fond of his past."

Riku ceased all movement and gave Rasheed an incredulous stare. Rasheed nodded,

" But the time is soon to come... where you must be able to embrace it."

The room soon became dead silent. Riku lowered his head and clenched both fists tightly into a ball,

" Never..."

He then turned and stormed out of the building, Tobi calling after him with little success,

" Riku, wait!"

" Let him go, child."

Spinning on his heel, Tobi glanced back at Rasheed, who was frowning at him sternly,

" That man has a great many demons to deal with. It would be wise for you to let him have his time.... he _will_ come around. I am most assured of that."

Tobi blinked, then glanced out toward the Palace Ruins. The sky was steadily growing darkest in that area.

* * *

" He thinks I can just let it go!"

A rat resting on a nearby garbage pot twitched it's ears, glaring cautiously with golden-slit eyes at the intruder entering it's alleyway. Riku cursed loudly as a basket he kicked became lodged onto his foot,

" S#%$...."

Giving his leg one hard swing forward, he sent the basket sailing through the air and slamming into the rat. It tumbled off the pot and hissed at him, then scampered away angrily. Riku kicked at a less hassling target, the sand, and coughed as a dust cloud entered his lungs,

" Just... who the h%$# does he think he is, anyway!? He has know idea what I've been through!!"

" But I'm sure he would if you told him..."

Riku turned sharply on his heel to find Salene standing behind him. She smiled, walking on past him and up a set of once glorious steps,

" My family lived here... once upon a time."

He frowned, turning to see that he'd wandered to the Palace Ruins. Salene leaned back against one of the pillars and wrapped her arms tightly around herself,

" Oh, the wonderful memories I have of this place! My mother always chasing my brother down the halls after his bathes... he didn't like the clothes she'd make him wear. And my father... my father always used to tell me great stories of mystical places and extraordinary journeys... and of a boy. A boy who would be known to all as the Keybearer, but to his friends as just plain, old Sora..."

Riku straightened as Salene spun about in a circle, the ceiling holes allowing sunlight to shine in on her. She looked like an angel dancing a marble cloud, her earth-coloured rags twirling around her as a heavenly dress. Riku blinked, the image of another young woman dancing just as Salene was filling his mind.

_

* * *

_

_This woman was wearing a lengthy sky-blue dress with white bell-sleeves, and snow white boots that traveled up to her knees, but were hidden beneath the folds of her skirt. A piece of gold string tied up the front of the dress, a small bit of ivory cloth visible underneath it. Her ebony hair was tied back in a half-ponytail and the sun shown through the trees as snow fell all around her. _

_Her skin was beautifully pale and her ears came up in a miniscule point, hardly visible if at all. She opened her deep emerald eyes and smiled at him with rose-coloured lips. Giggling, she then turned away from him and a heavily cloaked man stepped up to her casting shadows so black even he could not see through it to her light._

_" Riku?"_

* * *

He blinked and glanced down at Salene. She had been waving her hand in front of his eyes for almost ten minutes when she finally got him to respond,

" Are you alright?"

Her mahogany eyes questioned him with concern and he nodded, waving her off,

" Y-yeah... I'm fine. It's just the heat getting to me."

Salene smiled, a smile that reminded him of her mother, Jasmine,

" Well then, we should get you back to the Loft. I'll fix some of my mother's killer curry for dinner and then you'll feel a bit better. So, what do you say, huh? Shall we go?"

Riku blinked, then nodded. This girl was more like her mother than she knew!

She giggled, wrapping both hands around his arm as she dragged him back down the alley,

" C'mon, it's this way..."

* * *

" They've found the girl, my liege. It would seem that they've beaten us to her."

A group of cloaked men stood around a crystal ball, the strange blue glow it gave off only shining on one of their faces. Darien turned to the man at the head of the table,

" Who shall we send for her, sire?"

The man smirked, nodding at the shadowed man beside him,

" Let us send you. It should be fairly simple enough, I should think."

The one at his side nodded, a strong voice escaping the folds of his hood,

" Yes, sir."

He turned and departed from the rest of the group. Darien nodded to him as he left, then turned back to their Master,

" Sire, your plan is almost complete."

The man nodded as all but Darien left the room,

" Almost, but not quite yet, my boy. He must be at full strength before we release him. All pieces must be in place, before the last of the trio may crumble..."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

That night was unusually cool, especially with the normal climates of Agrabah. Ahmal was asleep at his perch by the "window", Salene was no where in sight. Riku frowned, untying his blindfold and setting it down beside him. No Salene.... and Kae and Tobi were not to be seen, either. He then heard the sounds of faint laughter from outside. Stepping over toward the opening in the wall, he glanced down to see the three of them in the square with about 10 or so children. The children had tied a blindfold around Tobi's eyes and were making him chase them around, and Kae and Salene stood on the sidelines watching in amusement. Well, _Salene _was watching in amusement, anyway. Kae seemed more annoyed at the moment...

* * *

Kae rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she watched Tobi stagger blindly to catch the little tikes,

" Oh puhleeze..."

Her eyes widened as a hand suddenly grabbed her chest and she growled, seeing the aforementioned idiot clasping her tightly. Tobi raised an eyebrow,

" Hey, this doesn't feel like a kid--"

As soon as he had pulled the blindfold off, the first thing he saw was a fist coming at him quickly. It connected with his nose almost immediately and sent him reeling backward. Salene giggled a gasp and turned to Kae,

" Don't you think that was a bit.... well... harsh, Kae?"

Kae puffed some air angrily through her nostrils and folded her arms over herself tightly,

" No!"

She then glanced down at his disoriented frame and her eyebrow twitched,

" And if I had any sense, I'd kill him right now!!"

The children laughed and gathered around him. They then began beating him with small wooden sticks and Kae smiled, smirking evilly as she turned to Salene,

" You see? I knew they were on my side... hm?"

Kae's eyes ran over a strange figure lurking in the darkness behind Salene. She firmly placed both hands on the grips of her pistols and narrowed her eyes,

" Salene, move... now."

Salene straightened and quickly ran as Kae drew both pistols with god-like speed and began to fire them rapidly at the stranger. The stranger didn't attempt to fight back, but instead fell to the ground and cried out in pain. Tobi suddenly snapped back to life and sat up, a couple knots beginning to form on his head. Salene gasped, the stranger struggling to his feet,

" Don't fire! Don't fire..."

The person stumbled out into the moonlight, revealing themself to be an Arabian man about medium build. Salene gasped, covering her mouth. Her eyes began welling up with tears and she smiled as they streamed down her cheeks,

" Papa... PAPA!"

Darting toward him quickly, she passed Kae in a blur. Kae gasped, reaching out for the girl,

" Salene, wait!"

Salene crashed into him and sobbed, grasping the cloth of his shirt tightly as she buried her face,

" Papa, Papa....."

Aladdin smiled warmly and wrapped both arms around her,

" My little girl..."

Seconds later, Ahmal came whirling around the corner, Riku not far behind. Ahmal blinked with wide-eyes, trying his hardest to keep the tears from pouring out,

" Father...?"

Aladdin turned, Salene smiling at her brother with crystal tears glistening in her eyes. She wiped them away, but they kept returning for an encore,

" He's back, Ahmal! He's finally come home to us!"

Ahmal blinked, a single tear falling from his eye as he dropped his wooden staff. He then burst into a run and threw himself into Aladdin's arms as the man turned around,

" Father!"

Riku straightened, soon noticing Kae's reaction to the whole situation. She had lowered her guns and was staring straight at the dirt, her eyes closed and her eyebrows furrowed to a point. Her grip on the pistols tightened for a moment, then loosened, then tightened again.

* * *

" Aladdin!? My, my... it's good to see you back, my friend."

Kae sat by the ''window'' and glanced back at the group of them. She folded her arms over her chest and turned her gaze back to the darkening skies. Aladdin was next to speak,

" It's good to be back, Rasheed. It's a wonderful feeling to finally be home with the ones I love the most."

Tobi was sitting on the floor, his legs forming a triangle as his tail twitched behind him. His hands held onto his shoes tightly and he rocked back and forth a bit, similar to that of an impatient child. Lightning flashed in the sky, filling the room with a bright light for a moment.

He straightened, noticing that Kae sitting by the window, calm as a sunny, summer's day. Or was she? The thunder rolled in with another brilliant flash of light and noticed that she flinched... just a tiny bit. Still, it seemed as though nothing was bothering her. But something was... something _always_ was...

_14 years ago..._

_Her mother rushed her into the nearest closet,_

_" Don't come out until I say..."_

/Flash/

_The Heartless leapt high into the air and landed on top of her father. One raised a shining claw, swiftly bringing it down as..._

/ Another flash/

_She could see the blood splatter everywhere. Her eyes widened as the Heartless then went for her mother..._

/ Flash/

_" SORA!? KAIRI!?"_

_She gasped as the Heartless turned her way and started to skitter over to the closet door. She backed up quickly as one sniffed at the door and pressed herself back against the wall. Her heart was pounding a-mile-a-minute as it nudged the door open. Sliding down the wall, she tucked her legs under her arms and tried to hide herself, but it would do her no good. As soon as it managed to pry the door wide open, it squealed and leapt into the air. She gasped, tensing and covering her head in her arms. She was almost ready for the blow... had it come to her at all. Blinking in confusion, she glanced up and smiled happily. They'd come for her just in time..._

_' But not in time to save my parents...'_

* * *

" Hey."

She jerked out of her thoughts and turned to see Tobi's brilliantly golden eyes staring straight into her sapphire ones. They both jerked back when they realized how close they were to one another. Tobi bowed his head and held up his hands,

" Don't!"

Kae straightened and blinked, almost in awe of his behaviour. She wasn't _that_ rough on him... was she?

He glanced up at her with one eye and upon realizing she wasn't moving to make a hostile effort toward him, he relaxed a little,

" I was just gonna say that... um... that everybody's...um..... we're all going to sleep now. Riku and Aladdin have first watch... I... uh... I guess that's it."

His head still bowed, he motioned with a hand to apologize and hurriedly backed off. He was out of sight before she got a chance to say anything.

Frowning, she lowered her head in thought,

_' That was strange. He wasn't obnoxious or anything! He was actually kind of....'_

" ...sweet."

* * *

Tobi stood just outside of the building, around the corner and out of sight from Riku and Aladdin. A steady rain was now pouring over the desert ruins, his choppy, crimson hair now slicked to his face. It hung in strings before his eyes, their bloody tips lightly grazing his upper lips. When dry, they barely went passed the tip of his nose. His plaid overshirt now hung heavily around his lithe form, the white tank top underneathe almost completely see through. Not that it mattered... he _was _a guy, afterall. His tail twitched with each water droplet that hit it and he smiled, suddenly shaking his hair free of all precipitation. It proved futile, though, and he only succeeded in badly stinging his face.

Sighing heavily, he leaned back against the wall and tilted his head toward the murky skies. Rain drops pattered against his face, sliding down his smooth, azure skin like tears,

' Boy, Kae sure is beautiful... Hold it! Did I really just think that?'

Tobi shook his head and laughed, the rain dripping from his stringy locks. He silenced himself and sighed, taking in the moist air around him. Suddenly, startled by a scream, he instantly glanced up to see Kae peering out into the rain, her guns armed and at the ready. He straightened and ran around the corner. Riku and Aladdin were no where to be seen. Another cry suddenly rang out in the distance. The voice was Salene's,

" HELP!!"


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Tobi headed after Salene's cry, stopping as he reached the nearest building. It was a little too quiet for this kind of weather. His ear twitched and he turned his head a bit,

" You hear it, too?"

Kae stepped out of the shadows, both guns in hand,

" Nah, really?"

" SALENE!"

They jumped simultaneously, then turned to see Ahmal running up behind them. Tobi blinked, frowning slightly,

" And apparently he did, too..."

Ahmal started to head past them, but stopped short suddenly as Kae latched one hand onto his vest collar. He struggled,

" Lemme go! I've gotta find Salene!"

Kae raised an eyebrow,

" You? You're joking."

He stopped and turned to her, anger etched in his eyes,

" What's that supposed to mean!?"

Kae folded her arms, lightly tapping the metal of her pistol,

" There's no way that you could possibly stand up to the Heartless or for that matter, an Unknown, so why don't you just go back inside and wait here with Rasheed while we older kids handle this, 'kay?"

Ahmal snarled at her, raising his staff,

" Don't treat me like a child..."

His actions only made Kae snort,

" Boy, I could beat you in a heartbeat. Don't try me."

She then began to head past him, both pistols at her sides. Tobi watched in a kind of awe and horror at how she was treating Ahmal. It reminded him of how Riku treated_ him_ sometimes. Most times actually...

This only made Ahmal fierce with anger,

" Oh, yeah!? Well, what would you know about these things anyway!? I'm sure you'd like to think you know how they work when you've probably only spent your life watching them through a window! I bet you think you have it good, knowing that you'd never be hurt by them because _Daddy_ was always there to protect you! You don't know what it's like having to fight these things with only a stick and your sister to help you! You don't know because you've never--!"

Kae stopped short, gripping both pistols tightly,

" My father's dead, son. He died when I was five-years-old."

She then turned and walked right up to him, glaring at him intensely with piercing, sapphire eyes,

" As did my mother and the rest of my family. The only person I had for protection was a young boy who was two years my senior and he died when I was twelve. I may not know what it's like to fight the Heartless with just a stick and a sister, but I sure as h$# know what it's like to fight them with a pair of pistols and alone, so the next time you want to say something about someone, say it about yourself. You know him better."

She then turned sharply and stormed off into the desert, the rain pouring so hard that the sand became mud under her feet. Ahmal lowered his head and narrowed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he shook his head,

" I....I had no idea."

Tobi straightened, his mind wandering aimlessly for thought,

" Neither did I..."

* * *

A crack of thunder rumbled in the distance as a branch of lightning darted across the ever-darkening skies. A strange, but magnificent carpet cut through the air, two very familiar passengers on board.

" So, how far is it to this, 'Cave of Wonders' you're talkin' about?"

Aladdin turned to Riku and flashed him a smile,

" It's not far!" He shouted over the roll of thunder,

" Just over this next hill!"

He then turned back to the desert in front of him.

Riku nodded and narrowed his eyes, thus causing a crease to appear in his blindfold,

_' Cave of Wonders... Cave of Wonders.... grrrrgh, d%$$#%! Why can't I remember it!?'_

_'" Some of your memories must've been taken when you entered Kingdom Hearts."'_

Riku straightened and glanced beside him. There she was again, the ebony-haired maiden who kept appearing in his dreams. She giggled a little, smiling at him brightly as she tucked a strand of silky hair behind her pointed ear,

_'" But don't worry, I'm sure you'll get them back."'_

He frowned, unsure of why he could see a clear picture of her from behind his cloth mask of darkness,

" Hikari?"

Reaching up to touch her face, a sudden burst of strong winds attacked them shortly and blew him from the carpet. Aladdin gasped and glanced back as he fell, the carpet keeping it's steady pace toward the now-ascending lion head of sand,

" Carpet, stop!"

But as the lion head opened it's mouth, the carpet refused to obey it's master and darted inside.

Riku had landed rather harshly in the sand, the force of the sudden halt causing him to loose consciousness. He frowned, his head feverishly tossing back and forth as a white light filled his thoughts...

_

* * *

_

_" So, uh... your name's Hikari, isn't it?"_

_The ebony-haired beauty nodded,_

_" Yes... why is that so funny to you, Ri-ku?"_

_She giggled, playfully poking at his stomach. He jerked back a little, batting her comment off with a wave of his hand,_

_" It's not that, it's just.... that means Light, doesn't it? Wouldn't that make you..."_

_Hikari frowned, lowering her head,_

_" The Light of this world? Unfortunately... yes."_

_" So is that why Barret tried to kill me?"_

_Hikari glanced up at him and giggled,_

_" Oh, he did that!? Silly old thing... thinks every man that I run into is after my life."_

_He laughed a little, the sunlight gleaming down through the foliage of the forest,_

_" I think he thought a little more than that..."_

_Hikari frowned, a slight pout on her lips,_

_" How so?"_

_He cringed, blinking at disbelief at the confusion he saw on her face,_

_" You mean you... you don't know about... you don't..."_

_Hikari smacked hims playfully on the knee and laughed,_

_" Stop stuttering, silly! What don't I know?"_

_Somewhat smiling, he let out a sigh,_

_" Y'mean, no one ever gave you the whole ' Birds and the Bees' speech?"_

_Hikari frowned and tilted her head,_

_" Birds and the bees? Are we talking about nature?"_

_He scratched his head,_

_" Well.... sort of."_

_She leaned down to look up at his face,_

_" Are we talking about your nature?"_

_He jumped up suddenly, his cheeks burning red hot,_

_" I-E.... don't... well...it's...um...and well... you know... um..."_

_She stood and dusted off her dress, stepping up beside him,_

_" Um...um.."_

_He glanced over at her and laughed, shrugging slightly. Hikari flashed him a beautiful smile,_

_" Don't worry, you can tell me later."_

_She then headed on past him to a tiny cottage not to far off in the distance. The sun shone brightly on it through the branches of tall trees, and nearly a hundred daisies lined each side of the door steps. He heard her giggle one final time before she entered the home and disappeared..._

_Then she screamed..._

* * *

" HIKARI!!"

Riku shot up suddenly, glancing around him. He was back out in the desert, alone, of course. The rain had stopped, but with the heavy feel of humidity in the air, it was sure to start back up any time. Shaking his head, he felt his blindfold to make sure it was still on and took in a deep breath. It truly _had_ been just a dream, after all. Or had it been?

He stood and brushed himself of the muddy sand, then hiked up the hill nearby to see where Aladdin had gone off to. Just beyond the hill he stood upon, was a gigantic cave in the shape of a lion head, but constructed completely of sand. He raised an eyebrow,

" Suppose that's what he meant by the 'Cave of Wonders'...?"

* * *

Tobi headed toward the gate, shaking his head slowly.

" So, did he go home?"

He was startled by the sudden voice and glanced up to see Kae lurking in the shadows. She stepped out into the 'daylight', waiting for his answer. Nodding, he sighed,

" Yeah... he said he would stay with Rasheed till this whole thing was over."

Kae sighed in slight relief,

" That's good--"

" But, eh... I wouldn't put it past him to come after us, anyway. I _am _sure of that one."

He stopped, leaning against the wooden gate leading in to Agrabah,

" He's just like I was at his age..."

Kae snorted, marching on past him,

" Pompous, arrogant, rude..."

She jerked back as Tobi suddenly appeared in front of her,

" Charming."

She folded her arms and tapped the barrel of her pistol to her chin,

" Yes, I suppose.... in a NON-aptitude, sort of way, that is..."

Kae then pushed past him and let him think to himself for a moment. He frowned, mouthed the words '' non-aptitude?'' back to himself, then chased after her, pretending to know what she meant,

" Hey!"

* * *

"Well, it's all coming together quite nicely..."

The cloaked leader said to himself. Beside him was a strange capsule filled with green goo-like liquids. Stepping over to it, he tapped it a bit with the back of his hand,

" Wouldn't you say, Keybearer?"

His reflection gleamed back at him, two orange eyes through the darkness. The young man inside groaned, tensing as his captour began to chuckle quite loudly...


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

" I don't believe this!"

Tobi stopped again and sighed, turning another time to see Kae fume at him. She folded her arms,

" You have NO IDEA where we're going, do you?"

Tobi frowned, scratching his head,

" Yeah, I do! We're going that way!"

He pointed to the horizon straight ahead of him. She placed her hands on her hips, flailing her arms in that direction as she spoke to get her point across his thick skull,

" Oh, really? And does THAT WAY tell us anything!?"

Tobi was silent for a moment, then he shrugged. Her eyes got bigger,

" Oh, so now you don't know! You know, why do I _ever_ listen to men!? All men are idiots!"

She stormed off past him again, causing him to scramble to catch up,

" Well, eh... hey, that Albert Einstein guy, he's smart. Pretty smart, too, I might add. You see, he--"

Kae glared at him, struggling to speak with false sweetness,

" Tobi, Albert Einstein is dead."

The azure-skinned boy paused again, his tail whipping around playfully behind him,

" So?"

Kae clenched her fists tightly, growling through her teeth as she suddenly shot them out to the sides,

" BAKA!!"

She tried walking faster to get away from him this time, but that still didn't work,

" Y'know, Kae? Yelling out words in other languages isn't really helpin' us much."

She turned to him again, this time keeping up her pace,

" Funny, YOU aren't either..."

They were silent for a long while, a hill soon coming into view. Tobi blinked,

" Hey, maybe there's something over that hill."

Kae stopped and shook her head, massaging her temples to calm herself,

" No, Tobi, there's not. Because we've gone the wrong way, because I chose to follow you, maybe? I don't know. But either way, there will be nothing over that hill, because for some reason, I have gotten onto God's bad side... obviously enough because I met you. So all in all, this IS your fault really, and..."

Tobi's eyes widened as he reached the top of the hill and he breathed out a saying of awe,

" Whoa..."

Kae slumped her shoulders, her hair severely frazzled as she turned around,

" What? What shiny object have you come into contact with now....?"

Her eyes became just a wide as his when she reached the top,

" Extraordinary..."

Tobi blinked, nodding in agreement,

" That's one big kitty."

Kae turned her head slowly and shot him an incredulous stare.

* * *

Riku stepped inside the next room. This one was just the same as the last, a strange looking boulder winding around the area. Odd faces spraying powerful ice from their mouths. The endless amounts of Heartless that seemed to pop up EVERYWHERE he went into...

Using his staff as a spear-like weapon, he chucked it forcefully at one of the air-type Heartless, one which a name escaped him, and pinned it to the wall with one blow. It struggled for a short while, but in the end, gave in and withered. Riku sighed, shaking his head as he leapt up high enough to grab the staff and yank it out. Both hands firmly grasping the metal rod, he tugged as hard as he could, then grunted. The staff had embeded itself deep into the wall... and had gotten stuck.

Riku sighed, dangling about 20 feet in the air by his weapon,

" Great... just great."

* * *

Aladdin hopped off of Carpet as they entered the treasure room. He glared at it angrily as it stepped over to the nearest monkey statue and sat down,

" Carpet, why didn't you stop?"

" Because, you're forgetting your mission, mate."

The carpet suddenly stood up and unraveled itself in a cloud of smoke, revealing a man about the age of 28, with raven hair and mahogany eyes. Aladdin frowned,

" Who... who are you?"

The man sat down again, the beads dangling from his crimson bandana waving back and forth,

" Name's Jack. Jack Sparrow. I _used_ to be Captain of the once notorious, Black Pearl. Ever heard of it, mate?"

Aladdin shook his head,

" Afraid I haven't."

Jack raised an eyebrow and pouted,

" No? Real shame... 'Spose I'll just have to tell you about it then, aye? Well, you see I--"

" Just get to the point, _Jack_. Who sent you...and what does it have to do with me?"

Jack paused for a moment to try and remember what he'd come for. He nodded,

" Oh, yeah. After our lit'le friend Ansem sprang me back from the dead and gave me a wee bit of power, he told me to tell you, that if the job isn't done by tonight..."

Jack stepped up to Aladdin and poked him with a ringed, index finger,

" Then you, my friend, are going back to the grave you came ou' of."

Aladdin's eye widened, a flash of orange and gold streaking through them,

" Oh yes... the mission. Thank you, Jack, for reminding me."

Jack bowed and rubbed his hands together,

" You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll grab some of this treasure for meself, aye?"

Aladdin nodded, turning away as Jack began to climb the piles of gold coins in the room,

" Yes... my debt to Ansem must be paid."

* * *

Kae and Tobi slowly charted through the various caverns that the enormous lion had to offer. Deadly traps, dangerous cliffs, a bountiful harvest of Heartless... what more could any treasure seeker ask for?

" Grrrghh... c'mon... you stupid..."

Tobi grunted as a piece of rock suddenly fell from above and clonked him square in the back of his head. A few more pebbles fell and Kae frowned, raising an eyebrow as well as her eyes to see what all the commotion was about. What she saw made her smile,

" I don't believe it..."

Tobi glanced up, despite the pebbles and dust that seemed to love falling on him and nearly choked laughing,

" Riku?"

Riku placed both boots against the wall and pushed away, his staff firmly held underneath his arm. He then glanced down and smiled a little of embarrassment,

" Oh... h-hey, kid! What're you doing down there?"

Tobi coughed, trying to clear his throat of dust and to silence his laughter,

" What're _you_ doin' up _there_?"

Riku grinned again, trying to hide his discomfiture,

" Well, uh... you see, I was--"

He soon heard a crack that sound like the staff breaking loose from the wall and nearly fell as the thing lurched downward. The charms at the free end of the staff chinkled, but didn't do much else in preparing Riku for the 20 foot fall awaiting him. It lurched again and Riku felt sweat drop from his temple. It was absorbed into the blindfold and he gulped as the staff suddenly gave way,

" Oh, s#%$!!"

Tobi and Kae backed away from the target area where he would land and cringed as they heard the hard, loud thud made from Riku's body. They also heard a crunching sound and this made Tobi cry out in pain. Riku sat up and glanced down, soon seeing that the reason for the boy's yelp was because he'd landed on his tail. Laughing a bit as Tobi yanked it out from underneath him, he shrugged,

" Oops...?"

* * *

Salene groaned, shaking her head as she opened her eyes to find herself in a foreign place. She gasped, taking in fearful breathes as she stood and glanced about her surroundings,

" Hello? Father? Ahmal...? Tobi? Anyone?"

Pouting, she blinked back her tears and sniffled,

" Can any of you hear me?"

" _I_... can hear you."

She gasped, spinning on her heel to see the face of a many not much older than herself. He was standing on a nearby platform, one that resided by a strange looking keyhole. Salene backed up a bit, covering her heart with both hands,

" Who... who are you?"

He only smiled at her, his icy blue irises gleaming with satisfaction. She tried to make a run for it, but as she reached the exit, she was thrown back by a mysterious force. Water splashed up around her as she hit the ground,

" You can't get out that way, y'know..."

Salene glanced up at the man again. He was heading over to her,

" The exits are blocked by magic."

Holding out a hand to her, he flashed another smile,

" My magic."

* * *

" C'mon! This way!"

Riku motioned down a narrow passageway, one that seemed quite familiar to him. Tobi and Kae ran on ahead, but he stopped midway through and frowned,

" Why can't I remember?"

He stood in silence for a few moments, waiting for some kind of recognition of this place when something suddenly came to him. Whatever it was made him jolt and he pressed himself back against the wall for balance. He soon saw a boy...

_

* * *

_

_" He could care less about what happens to you... bagghhh! Give me a break!"_

_He sat down beside the invisible stranger and let out a deep sigh, running a hand smoothly through his gleaming, silver hair. With eyes lightly closed, he took in a deep breath,_

_" He still cares about me.... right? Sora... he'd never betray our friendship.... would he?"_

_He opened his bright, sea coloured eyes and shook his head,_

_" And... and what about Kairi! He still cares about her, doesn't he? What Maleficent said... what Maleficent said couldn't be true. Sora loves her... and he'd do anything to find her, wouldn't he? I can't... I can't give up on him. Not now. Not when Kairi still needs us!"_

_He stood sharply and turned, heading off into the shadowy cavern. There was suddenly a feeling of air beneathe his feet and he gasped as gravity caught on, plunging him into the darkness below,_

_" Whoa!"_

* * *

Riku frowned, turning his head toward a sudden familiar cry.

" Whoa!"

Grunting, he quickly ran through the opening at the tunnel's end and entered the cavern,

" Tobi!"

Kae was gazing over the cliff as he arrived and he clenched his fists,

" Where is he!?"

Kae shrugged,

" He fell! I don't know where he is now!"

Riku paused for a moment, the room falling dead silent....until a splash was heard.

This made Riku instantly jump into action,

" Oh, s#%$..."

" What? What's going on, Riku?"

Riku shook his head, motioning to the drop off and what lie below it,

" There's water down there, that's what!!"

He pushed past her, trying to find a way down to the caverns below without having to fall about 50 stories (Exaggeration. Just makes the story more excitin', y'know?).

Kae shook her head,

" Well, yeah? So? What does that matter?"

Riku spun on his heel, trying to surpress his frantic behaviour,

" HE CAN'T SWIM, Kae, THAT'S what! Tobi never learned how to swim!"


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen 

Salene gasped, turning away from him as he drew near,

" I was told... never to speak with strangers."

This made him smile,

" Well, then I'll just have to introduce myself, then, won't I?"

Grabbing her arm, he turned her to face him and grasped her by both shoulders, staring deeply into her chestnut eyes,

" I'm Darien."

* * *

" He WHAT!?"

Kae screamed as Riku found a set of dimly lit stairs. Riku sped up his pace a bit, still unable to see the bottom,

" He never learned how to swim, Kae. There were no places in Midgar that were willing to let him in. After awhile, he gave up on it all together..."

She shook her head, her arms flailing frantically,

" Well, then why didn't YOU teach him!?"

Riku stopped, turning to face her,

" Oh c'mon now, Kae! What was I supposed to do? Teach him to swim in the bathtub!? Honestly...!" (Heh heh... sorry. 7th Heaven joke.)

He then changed his pace to a run and entered a torch-lit cavern, Kae close at his heels. They both glanced around, Kae's voice raising a bit,

" So, where is he?"

Riku frowned, sensing a disturbance in the waters to their right,

" Over here."

They both stepped over to the edge and sure enough, Kae could see Tobi struggling beneathe the water. She took off her coat quickly, but stopped upon glancing over at Riku. He was undoing his blindfold. Kae frowned,

" What're you doing?"

He unzipped his cloak and let it drop,

" I'm gonna go get him."

Kae shook her head, letting out a skeptical breath,

" But you're blind!"

Riku smirked at her, pointing down at the water with his thumb,

" Don't underestimate a blind man, kid. It could get you killed."

She frowned, seeing that he was motioning to the enormous Heartless that was lurking around Tobi's form. He slid the sheath of his staff over his shoulders and armed himself,

" I'll bring Tobi up first. If anything should happen to me while I'm fighting that Heartless.... then, good luck!"

Kae's eyes widened as he jumped in,

" What!? Riku!"

She glanced over at his things, that back at the water. Folding her arms, she shook her head,

" It can't get any worse than this, can it?"

A sudden warm breeze of air blew her hair into a mess and she opened her eyes quickly. Upon turning around, she gasped. A Behemoth Heartless had just found her. She smiled timidly and let out a nervous laugh, speaking through gritted teeth,

" Oh boy, do I hate you now, Riku..."

* * *

Ahmal sighed, turning to Rasheed. The old vizier had fallen asleep hours ago, so what was he still doing here? He quickly stood and gathered his things, heading for the "window",

" I _will_ save you, Salene. Don't worry... I'm coming."

* * *

Riku grunted, a purple tentacle flying up toward him quickly. He swiftly dodged it and swam down further. Tobi had stopped struggling a while before, making it urgent for Riku to reach him,

_' If I can't get to him, he's done for!'_

Glancing back and forth, he frowned, noticing that an area between the Heartless's tentacles was glowing dark tones. The Heartless saw this and swung at Riku again, this time clonking him in the side of the head. He tumbled a bit, his head spinning from the hit.

_' "Riku, I'm scared!"'_

He shook his head, the face of a little boy filling his vision. It was Tobi's face, the face of a sweet, little five-year-old who'd just had a bad dream.

_' "Don't be scared, kid, I won't let the monsters get you. I'll always be here..."'_

_' "Promise?"'_

Shaking his head clear of the memory, he swam toward the glowing spot and raised his staff high, striking it with great force. The Heartless shrieked and slinked away, Riku jerking his staff out of it as it fled.

He then swam to Tobi's side and pulled him up from the ''ocean'' floor, kicking wildly for the surface.

_' I promise...'_

As they broke clear of the surface, Riku pushed Tobi up onto land and raised an eyebrow curiously at Kae. She glanced up from filing her nails and smiled, sitting on top of a dead Behemoth's head,

" Oh, hey! You found him."

She stood and headed over, the Heartless disintegrating as soon as she'd gotten up. Kneeling down beside Tobi, she frowned sympathetically,

" Is he alright?"

Riku shook his head, still partially submerged in water as he wiped off his face,

" I... I don't know."

Kae glanced up at him and blinked in confusion. Had this not been the same man that murdered her parents in cold blood? If so, then why was he so caring for a young boy? She then turned her gaze back down to Tobi and narrowed her eyes, pushing on his arm a bit,

" C'mon, Tobi... get up."

He didn't respond. She pushed on him harder,

" Tobi.... Tobi!"

When he still didn't move, she shook her head. He... he couldn't be gone. He just couldn't! Biting back tears of frustration with herself, she began patting at his face, trying desperately to wake him,

" Please, c'mon..."

She didn't want to believe it. He couldn't die, not like this. A tear slipped from her eye and hit his cheek, streaming down his azure skin smoothly.

His lips were deep purple, there were dark rings under his eyes... there was no mistake.

She shook her head, refusing it to be true,

" No... no, you can't be... you just can't be gone!"

Kae bit back a scream and beat her fists against his chest, beginning to sob angrily,

" You idiot...you pompous... arrogant... rude...you...you...."

" Don't forget.....charming...in a non-aptitude sort of way...."

Both of her eyes shot open wide and she sat up quickly. Tobi took in a breath and smirked at her, his yellow eyes twinkling brightly,

" Hey....Kae..."

She smiled, then grabbed him by the ankles and threw them over his head. His eyes grew wide as he tumbled back into the water, but this time, he latched onto the edge of the platform and pulled himself up. He coughed, wiping the water from his face,

" What... What was that for...!?"

Kae growled at him, shaking her head,

" You jerk..."

She then turned and grabbed her coat, storming back up the steps. This made him smile and he climbed up, turning back to face Riku. The man was climbing up out of the water and reaching for his things. Tobi lowered his head,

" Riku, I--"

" You scared me, kid."

Tobi straightened, staring down at Riku as he tied on his blindfold. He then stood and zipped up his cloak,

" Thought I'd lost you..."

Tobi lowered his head again as Riku turned and stepped up to him. He was immediately surprised when he was taken into Riku's arms. Surprised, maybe, but not upsetted by it. He returned the embrace and nodded into Riku's shoulder as the man spoke again,

" Don't ever do that to me again... okay?"

Tobi snorted with a smile,

" Yes, mother..."

This made Riku push him away and head back up the stairs,

" C'mon, we've still gotta find Salene."

Taking in a deep breath, Tobi smiled. So, they DID still care, after all...

* * *

" Salene."

Salene straightened and spun on her heel, Darien standing behind her now,

" Papa! You came for me! Oh, I knew you would!"

She ran to him and embraced him strongly, smiling in happiness. She then frowned,

" But where are the others? Where's Riku? And Kae, and Tobi...? And Ahmal? Papa...? Are you listen--"

Salene jerked suddenly, her mouth hanging wide open. Riku and the others ran into the room second afterward, Kae gasping at what she saw. Aladdin glared down at Salene with bright orange eyes and pushed her away, holding a glowing pink object in his hand. Tobi's eyes widened and he let out a shocked gasp as the girl fell slowly backward. Riku clenched his fists tightly,

" No..."

" SALENE!!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere came Ahmal, bounding in from behind Riku and Tobi. He pushed through them and ran to his sister, catching her before she hit the ground. He slowly brought her down, cradling her in his arms,

" SALENE! SALENE!!!"

But it was too late. Salene's hand hit the floor limp, as was the rest of her body. Ahmal's eyes widened as he brought her close to his chest and sobbed,

" NO, SALENE!!"

Tobi shook his head, marching right up behind Aladdin despite hearing Riku's warnings,

" How... how could you!? She was your daughter! Your own flesh and blood! How could you just--"

Aladdin turned sharply toward him and narrowed his eyes,

" Don't further infuriate me, boy. It'll only wind up in getting you killed!"

He simply raised a hand and used the dark forces to blow the boy away from him. Tobi crossed his arms over his face to protect himself and was forcefully blown back into a nearby wall.

Riku grunted and turned toward Aladdin,

" Why are you doing this!?"

" Because of me, Ri-ku."

Darien stepped out into the open, fumbling with a shining object between his index and middle fingers,

" And... because of this."

He raised the object up for him to see, then frowned,

" Oops, I'm sorry. I forgot... your seeing impaired."

Riku growled again,

" That's a Ring...isn't it? She was a Ringbearer?"

Darien paused and clapped,

" Very good, class. And what do you think is going to happen next?"

Riku clenched his fists, unsheathing his staff,

" You're going to try and kill us."

Darien shook his head,

" My, my, my... aren't we on the ball this morning?"

Aladdin turned and unsheated a blade of his own, the metal curving in a hook. Kae frowned, arming herself with both pistols. Darien then turned to her shaking his finger,

" Ah, ah, ah, princess. You've been a very naughty girl, today. Why, after killing my precious Behemoth, Monty, I see I have no choice... but to make you fight a legion of your own."

He snapped his fingers and three Behemoths came trampling through the nearby wall. She narrowed her eyes at him as he spoke again,

" You see, they're yours, because I named them after you. That's Kae I, the blue one is Kae II, and the one with orange flames is Kae III. She's my favourite."

Kae rolled her eyes and trained her guns on him,

" Please, I don't have time for--"

As soon as he snapped his fingers again, the three Behemoth Kaes started charging toward her.

Her eyes grew wide and she screamed, narrowly escaping them with a hasty Dodge Roll.

Darien then laughed,

" You said, ' Please'."

He then formed a portal before him and stepped through it, making his exit just as a Behemoth stormed his way.

* * *

Riku narrowed his eyes,

" How... if you were dead, how did you come back?"

Aladdin ran his fingers over the sharp edge of his blade,

" Have you ever wondered why I didn't bleed, Riku?"

Riku frowned as they began to pace around each other. Aladdin smirked again,

" When Kae shot me...?"

" And that would mean?"

Aladdin folded his arms,

" I'm surprised you don't know... You've dealt with them before. The dead?"

Raising an eyebrow, Riku tightened his grip on his staff and questioned him,

" Are you trying to say...?"

" Yes, Riku," Aladdin said with a determined look on his face,

" I AM dead."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Riku shook his head,

" That's not possible."

Aladdin smirked, charging at him with a hefty swipe to his right side. Riku quickly blocked with his staff, the clang echoing throughout the hall,

" Oh? Then how do you explain me?"

Grunting, Riku brought up his left boot and kicked Aladdin forcefully in the stomach, causing the man to stagger backward.

* * *

Kae clenched her fists around both pistols tightly and leapt high into the air as Kae I charged at her. The blue-flamed Behemoth snarled and reared up with it's horn to try and pierce her as she sailed over it's head. She landed on it back with one foot and scurried up it's spine and grasped it by the horn firmly as it shook around, trying to fling her off. Grunting, she spun her pistol on her finger and pressed the nozzle firmly against it's head, instantly firing the bullet into it's skull. Blood splattered beneathe it's chin , the bullet itself becoming imbeded into the hard, cobblestone of the floor. She smirked, satisfied as it flopped over onto it's side and disintegrated.

* * *

" I... CAN'T explain you. Only YOU can explain you, because, frankly, I'm NOT you."

Aladdin laughed, their weapons clashing again loudly,

" You're a funny man... I suppose that only comes from the pain of your past, pain which you choose to hide?"

Riku growled, tightening his grip on his staff,

" Don't talk to me about pain... when you have no idea what the concept is."

Aladdin smirked evilly, breaking their struggle and swiping Riku's front with the tip of his blade. Riku grunted and staggered backward, his hand unconsciously hovering over his stomach. Aladdin snorted at him,

" You speak as if you're the only one who has experienced it... when that is not the case at all."

Riku frowned, a bead of sweat gliding down his face as waited for Aladdin's next attack. It came quickly, so quickly, in fact, that he could no longer sense Aladdin's presence. Riku straightened, focusing on the energies in the room. There was Tobi by the far wall, still unconscious, Kae was waging a small war against two masses of Heartless to his right, Ahmal was kneeling beside a mass of green, something he'd never seen before, but Aladdin was...

" Over here, _Green Eyes_!"

Riku spun around just in time to receive a kick in the face. He staggered to the left of Aladdin, his senses completely out of order. The image of a young man soon shocked him,

_' Help me...'_

It was Aladdin. Riku frowned and glanced back to the mass of red before him. In the center of the crimson energy, was a dimming gold speck... Aladdin's heart. Riku shook his head,

" Well, guess I know what it means now when they say ' He's got a heart of gold...'"

_' Help me, Riku...'_

The young Aladdin pleaded standing beside his evil counterpart,

_' Free me...please.'_

Riku nodded to the boy, who grunted and fell to the ground, as the much older, much more evil Aladdin charged at him instantly. He quickly brought up his staff and blocked the blade's path, a path that would've cut right into his head. Gritting his teeth, he grunted,

" What...happened to you....Al?"

Aladdin paused, his weight still slightly increasing on the blade. His golden eyes widened as a strange white light filled his vision,

_' GENIE!'_

_12 years ago_

_" Run, Al! Go!"_

_The servants of the castle were screaming and fleeing for their lives, pushing the young man away from his larger-than-life, blue friend. Aladdin cried out again, the crowd sweeping him away from the scene,_

_" GENIE!!"_

_" Aladdin!"_

_Aladdin glanced around and caught Jasmine in his sights. She was with the children, her right hand being clung to tightly by Salene, who had just turned 6, and in her other arm was the 4-year-old, Ahmal. He was glancing around curiously with big, fearful eyes as a strangely cloaked boy approached them. Aladdin pushed through the crowd quickly to reach them, but soon the cloaked one raised a hand to them and he thought he was too late. Jasmine screamed as a sudden burst of fire erupted from the stranger's hand up toward them, even more surprised when the 78-year-old vizier, Rasheed, leapt in front of the blast. _

_He cried out in pain and covered his face, his eyes no longer to see the light of day. Aladdin reached them seconds after, the vizier falling into his chest. He propped the man up and ushered his family down another hall, soon reaching the Palace Gardens. Everything had been set a flame, the trees, the bushes... even Rajah. The tiger lay dead beside the fountain, it's body engulfed in the brightly burning fire. Jasmne gasped, shaking her head as tears welled in her eyes,_

_" Rajah..."_

_" You shouldn't try to escape, you know. The end is inevitable."_

_They all turned to see another man, clothed in a deep red cloak. The hood was down, revealing a man about the age of 20 with piercing green eyes. His hair was shining blonde, set back in a ponytail that nearly reached the floor._

_Aladdin growled,_

_" Who...who are you!?"_

_The blonde man smirked,_

_" Not that it'll be of any use to you, but.... they call me Zero."_

_The cloaked one beside him who had fired the energy off laughed,_

_" I say we kill 'em, Z. There's no point in keepin' 'em alive anymore!"_

_The voice coming from the cloaked one seemed higher pitched, like he were just a young boy. Zero smirked, Salene clinging tightly to her mother fearfully by this point,_

_" Easy, Darien... we still need the girl."_

_He patted the young boy on the head and stepped forward, pulling out a sabre,_

_" Speaking of which... hand her over to us, and we'll spare your lives."_

_Aladdin growled, brandishing his own blade,_

_" Never! You'll never lay a hand on my daughter!"_

_He charged forward, raising his blade high in the air so that he may slice this, Zero, character in half. Zero smirked again, simply closing his eyes and jabbing his blade forward._

_Aladdin gasped, quickly making to block the oncoming sabre. His eyes widened as it broke his weapon in two and pierced him straight through the middle. Zero merely raised an eyebrow as Aladdin slumped over onto him with a final grunt, hanging dead on his sabre. Jasmine gasped, screaming at the sight of her dying husband,_

_" ALADDIN!!"_

_Rasheed staggered about, grasping the sultana by the shoulders,_

_" Get the children out of here... I'll hold them off, your Highness!"_

_Jasmine shook her head, setting Ahmal down on the floor,_

_" I can't just leave him!"_

_She wrapped the children's hands around the blinded Rasheed's and spoke firmly to Salene,_

_" You must run. Leave the palace quickly, sweetheart, I'll meet up with you later."_

_Salene nodded, taking charge of the situation as she lead Ahmal and Rasheed toward the Palace Gates. Her tiny ponytail bobbed as they ran off into the distance._

_Jasmine took hold of a vase and hurled it at Zero, who let Aladdin drop and backed away. She then hurried to her husband's side and turned him over, tears flowing freely from her eyes,_

_" Aladdin! Aladdin, can you hear me?"_

_His mahogany eyes slowly fluttered open and he squinted hard to see her, soon smiling,_

_" Jas...mine."_

_She smiled in return, but her smile soon twisted into an expression of pain and she let out a struggled breath. Zero stood behind her now, his sabre buried deep into her back. Aladdin gasped, seeing the tip exiting out her chest. Zero then twisted the blade and she let out a scream of pain, sliding off the sword onto her husband's chest. Aladdin placed a hand over the wound in her back, tears filling his eyes now as well,_

_" No... Jasmine..."_

_She struggled to glance up at him and smiled weakily, nuzzling into his chest,_

_" I love you...Aladdin."_

_Aladdin remained silent, tears streaming silently as her eyes closed forever. He buried his face in her ebony hair and sobbed, despite the pain in his midsection,_

_" Jasmine!"_

_Zero spat to the side,_

_" Such a pity. Darien... kill him."_

_Darien grinned and stepped over, raising his hand again. The last thing Aladdin would ever see was a scorching red fire ball speeding toward his face..._

_

* * *

_

_He opened his eyes and groaned, shaking his head. He was in a strange place, very strange indeed. Surrounded by green ooze, he gasped for air and choked, this stuff was thick. But not life threatening, apparently. He glanced from side to side to try and find a way out, spotting another container like his. He remembered the one inside it, but back then, he'd just been a small boy on a mission to find his friends,_

_" Sora?"_

_

* * *

_

_" I brought you back, because I believe we need you."_

_The silver-haired man before him said. The one known as Zero sat near by, sitting back comfortably with his arm on the back of the chair and his leg propped up on the table. Darien sat nearby, cloak discarded for a black shirt that was tucked into a pair of equally black pants._

_Aladdin frowned,_

_" You need me? For what? You're death marches, I don't think so. You might as well just send me back to the grave if that's what you're up to!"_

_Zero raised an eyebrow, staring at his nails,_

_" That can easily be arranged."_

_Darien laughed evilly, glaring up at Aladdin with a madman's smirk. Aladdin cringed a bit, then turned back to their leader, who was speaking again,_

_" I understand how you must be feeling, Aladdin. An entire generation, gone in one day. Even the genie, who's friendship you valued so dearly, was lost. But, understand this. If you do what I ask of you, I can give them all back to you with just the snap of my fingers."_

_" What? How?"_

_" Simple," the man said, turning to a large, stained-glass window of the Virgin Mary,_

_" Through the powers of darkness..."_

* * *

" Stop this at once!"

Riku grunted, glancing back toward the door from the corner of his eye. There stood Rasheed, staff in hand and arms raised high in the air,

" In the name of Allah, I command you to cease this madness!"

Aladdin froze completely, his mind submerged in memories. His eye colour flickered from brown to yellow rapidly, seemingly unsure of their identity. Riku lightened up and lowered his staff, glancing over at Kae's struggles. The Heartless had stopped moving completely, causing confusion to arise in her eyes. Even Tobi, who had woken up just minutes ago and was already helping her, was baffled.

Finally, Aladdin's eyes turned brown and he gasped, sweat covering his body,

" Jasmine...."

His eyes were wide as he glanced up at Riku, nearly collapsing of exhaustion,

" Please... kill me."


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

" Please....you must kill me... it's the only way..."

Riku bit his lip, lowering his head. There wasn't anyway to save him at all? Not even one? It was all too much to take. Aladdin grunted, the colour of his eyes switching back to a brilliant gold. He tightened grip on his blade and Riku, who was unprepared for the sudden change in him, was easily taken by surprise as Aladdin swiped the blade across his midsection. A deep gash was formed, causing Riku to double over in pain. Tobi's eyes widened drastically, his breath catching in his throat as he watched the events unfold with the upmost terror.

Riku staggered a few feet from Aladdin, almost expecting himself to fall over and die. Aladdin simply glared at him with a determined look on his face as the man came to a stop and propped himself up with his staff,

" Such a pity... the boy really looked up to you. Shame you'll have to die before you get the chance to see him turn 21."

He chuckled softly and started toward Riku, who at this time had become semi-incoherent. His mind was a muddled mess of reds and golds and blues... but soon, he saw a light shining brightly before him.

Tobi clenched both fists tightly and made a mad dash for his friend,

" RIKU!!"

" No, boy!"

Tobi halted as Rasheed, suddenly right beside him, cut him off with the staff,

" Just wait a moment... have faith in him."

Aladdin smirked again and raised his sabre high above Riku's head, it's speedy descent seeming like slow motion compared to what happened next.

Riku's head raised swiftly in a zombie-like trance, his eyes, yet hidden behind the blindfold, were the colour of ever-darkening charcoal...white and all. This, however, was not seen by the others, so it was unknown to them. A strange wind encircled his body and trapped him within a green haze as he let out a harsh cry and thrust his staff forward into Aladdin's gut. Ahmal gasped, his eye widening at the horrific image of what had been done to his father. Riku's staff had thrust so forcefully that it was now lodged in Aladdin's middle...and exited his upper back.

Tobi froze completely, Kae with much of the same reaction to this sight. Just meer moments before, Aladdin had the upperhand! And now, Riku's somehow god-like speed kicks in and he's killed Aladdin right before their very eyes! What the h$# was going on? Rasheed frowned gravely.

Aladdin gasped for air, falling forward onto Riku as the yellow in his eyes wore away. Riku struggled to keep him propped up as he slowly pulled the staff out, then carefully laid the ex-sultan on the floor. Aladdin gulped, whispering softly into Riku's ear,

" Thank you..."

Ahmal, with a terrified shriek, rested Salene's body on the wet stone ground and ran to his father's side,

" PAPA!!"

Kneeling down by his father's head, Ahmal sniffled,

" Papa!? Papa!!"

Aladdin opened his eyes with much struggled and smiled up at his son, a small trace of a tear running down his cheek,

" A...Ahmal?"

Ahmal's sad expression was the last thing that Aladdin ever saw as his world faded to black,

" Take....care of...your sister......"

Kae lowered her head, directing her sight away from the image of Ahmal's tear-ridden face,

" PAPA!! Papa, come back! Don't leave me! Papa!!! No....Papa..."

Ahmal sobbed openly, cradling his father's head in his arms,

" Papa, Papa!"

Tobi's shoulders slumped and he lowered his head in respect to the fallen sultan of Agrabah, but was surprised by a sudden shout of anger,

" It was you... this... this is all your fault! You're the reason my father is dead! IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!!"

Raising his head, he was startled to see that Ahmal had now resorted to taking his anger out on Riku. The boy pounded fiercefully on the blinded one's chest, screaming obscenities in many a colourful tongue. Riku remained silent, his focus locked straight ahead. Kae was surprised by this, too, and almost angered that the boy was being so vulgar toward Riku after he'd seen entirely what had happened for himself.

She could only imagine how Riku felt about the matter...

" I'm sorry."

Ahmal stopped his assault, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sat there silently while Riku stood. Lowering his head, Riku turned and sheathed his staff, then began to walk away. Rasheed looked on solemnly as he passed, a deep fear churning in his aged heart,

_' Power like that should not have to burden any man...'_

Riku grunted suddenly, clutching the gash in his stomach as he fell to his knees. Tobi gasped, quickly running to Riku's side,

" Riku!"

He knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, concern embeded in his golden eyes,

" Are you--"

" I'm fine."

Riku snapped, brushing the boy's hand away as he returned to a standing position. Remaining silent, he then proceeded to head out of the Cave of Wonders and back out into the desert. Tobi narrowed his eyes as he watched Riku exit, then lowered his head. It was obvious that Riku didn't want to be bothered.

* * *

" I see... so Aladdin has failed then."

Darien coughed, shifting nervously under his master's gaze,

" Well, yes... but if I may add, sir, we did achieve in getting the ring, just as I promised you."

His master smirked,

" Ah, yes... the ring. How could I forget..."

Darien nodded solemnly,

" I'll just set it down... huh?"

He glanced down at his hand to find the ring was missing,

" What!? Where--!?"

" You panic too easily, mate."

Darien spun around to see his most loathéd ally,

" Ah, Jack... So, no one's killed you yet, I see."

Jack smirked, one shining, gold tooth gleaming in the dim light of the room,

" They couldn't if they tried. And besides, no one can keep me away from '_you_',aye mate?"

Darien snarled at him,

" Aye... but I'd like to see you say 'mate' when your tongue has been ripped out and wrapped around your throat--"

" That is enough, both of you."

They both turned to their master, who was gazing into the chamber of goo. The young man inside was just beginning to open his sapphire eyes,

" It would seem our _friend_ is waking up...."

* * *

Tobi slumped his shoulders, sitting back against the wall at Aladdin's house. Ahmal, Rasheed, and Kae had taken the bodies of Salene and Aladdin to the Palace Ruins for proper burial. Riku was standing not feet from him, leaning against the brick of the 'window' with arms folded and staring blindfoldless out at the dreary skies. The clouds churned with turbulent storms raging across the lands, thunder rolling so fiercely that it rattled Tobi's bones. Taking in a deep breath, he cleared his throat,

" Um... Riku?"

Riku remained silent. Tobi cleared his throat again,

" So... how 'bout those Bucs, eh?"

Still silent. Tobi sighed deeply, this being the only thing to get a rise out of Riku,

" Hey, kid?"

Tobi's face lit up for the moment, his plan had worked and Riku was speaking again,

" Yeah?"

" Shut up."


	20. Chapter Nineteen

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

That night, Tobi and Kae slept on burgundy and blue carpets, soft pillows beneathe their heads. They seemingly slept peacefully, however, Ahmal, who was asleep nearby, was not as lucky as they. He dreamt of murder, death, and deceit. He dreamt of his father, of the mother he barely knew, of his dearly departed sister.... and of Kae. Now he would know how she felt all those long years ago, utterly alone with no one to call for help or to lean on when times got rough. And times ALWAYS got rough.

Ahmal groaned, tossing in his sleep and causing Tobi to stir. The azure boy yawned and turned over on his side, soon hearing an angry voice speaking lowly,

" So, I suppose you're happy now, right?"

" Why would you say that, young man?"

Tobi recognized both voices. One was Riku's the other Rasheed. Riku spat at him again,

" Oh, don't give me that! You know full well what I mean."

" If you speak of my prophecy... then I must say, you are sadly mistaken."

Riku spun on his heel and turned to face Rasheed,

" What?"

Rasheed's eyes sparkled in a flicker of lightning, the rain pattering gently on the roof,

" This night was not the time I speak of."

Riku shook his head,

" No, that's not possible. I used the darkness to defeat Aladdin, you must be lying--"

" I do not lie, nor do I speak truth. I only speak to warn. The time is soon to come, where you must embrace the darkness, that I did say. But you left so quickly, I could not finish my words. What I was saying was, the time will come where you must embrace the darkness, but where one life ends, another begins. Your light will guide you home, Riku. She is waiting to guide you home."

Riku clenched his fists,

" But... none of that makes any sense! Destiny Islands is gone, the darkness is my enemy....and I never even had a light to begin with! I'm darkness through and through, Rasheed!"

He stepped over to the 'window' and gazed out at the dull gray skies, skies which he could no longer see,

" And...and even if I'd had a light, it'd be long gone by now... You saw what happened for yourself! I killed Aladdin--"

" No, my boy, you _freed_ him."

Riku shook his head, chuckling softly with arms folded,

" Don't try and humour me, Rasheed. We both know what I've done.... I killed Aladdin, I failed to save Salene--"

" But, you were after that ring anyway, weren't you, Riku?"

Riku spun on his heel sharply, then lowered his head,

" Goodnight Rasheed."

He briskly marched past the elderly vizier and down to the Plaza. Tobi gulped silently and closed his eyes, hoping that what Rasheed had said and Riku's reaction to those words meant it was NOT true.

Kae's sapphire eyes glared angrily into the darkness. She could feel Tobi's breathing pattern quicken, sense his heart racing anxiously, hear the fear in every exhaled breath, and all for that man... that murderous man who loved acting completely innocent and oblivious while she and Tobi were around. Forcing herself to close her eyes, she mentally snarled at Riku, hoping that maybe he would get struck by lightning or killed by a Heartless. But then, Tobi would be saddened or angry by whichever event decided to take place and spiral into to depression or want revenge, even. Oh, how she hated Riku with an utter passion...

* * *

Riku sighed, feeling the rain patter softly on his skin.. He was sitting atop one of the tallest remaining rooftops left in Agrabah. Peeling away his blindfold, he gazed out into the darkness with faded sea green eyes. There was a slight hint of a pupil, a dark gray against a pale jade backdrop. Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and leaned back against a wall, the sound of the heightening rain mixing with his ever evanescent memories of her,

_" C'mon, Riku!"_

_

* * *

_

_She shouted, quickly running as fast as she could in her soaked white dress. He smiled and chased after her, wrapping his arms around her waist as soon as he'd caught up. She screamed as he spun her in a circle, then set her back on the ground. Turning quickly to catch a glimpse of his perfect smile, she suddenly lost balance and fell into him. He gasped as she collided with his chest, unprepared for her sudden fall,_

_" Hikari!"_

_They stumbled backward, falling to the ground with a loud thud. After a few moments of silence, He opened his eyes and glanced down to see that she had landed on his chest. Her shoulders shuddered violently and he kept hearing what sounded like sobs. He sat her up quickly, a hand on her shoulder,_

_" Hikari? Are you okay?"_

_Hikari fell onto her back, sprawling out on the wet grass and laughing hysterically. He smiled, lowering his gaze to the grass, then back up at her. The girl was soaked. Her hair lay in strings around her head, her skin was sprinkled with rain droplets, and her dress, once white, now showed her body very clearly. This made him smile and he pinned her to the ground as she ceased her laughing fit. They gazed longingly into each other's eyes, and slowly he leaned down to..._

* * *

Opening his eyes, Riku to in a sharp breath and rubbed his chest sorely,

" D%$$#%...."

* * *

The sun rose early the next morning, Tobi waking up to see the light of it's rays shining in on his face. He hid his face beneathe the pillow, only to be kicked in the side suddenly by a powerful boot,

" Time to get up."

Tobi let out an arguable groan, only to have the pillow snatched away from him. He quickly covered his eyes from the harsh light and glanced up at the one responsible for his sleep deprivement. Yawning, he sat up and watched them walk across the room,

" Riku? What're you doing up so early?"

Riku turned and raised an eyebrow at the boy,

" Early? Kid, it's half-past one."

Tobi thought for a moment and frowned,

" Really?"

Kae stepped into the room, fiddling with one of her guns,

" He still not up yet?"

Riku shook his head,

" Does it look like it? Hey, kid, you'd better get your stuff together. We're leaving as soon as Rasheed gets back."

Tobi slumped his shoulders and pouted,

" You mean.... we can't stay another day?"

Sighing deeply, Riku shoved their supplies back into the bag. They'd had to use a lot of potions when they'd come home last night,

" No, kid, we can't stay another day. But if it makes you feel any better, your welcome to sleep on the ship."

Tobi paused a moment, then smiled and bolted up from where he sat,

" So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

" Not so fast, young one. I still have much to give you."

Tobi stopped abruptly at the exit to the Plaza as Rasheed's staff met his chest with a rather loud thump. The boy sat back down, rubbing his chest sorely,

" Ow! Did you have to hit me so hard, old man--?"

His comment was suddenly halted by a slam in the back of his head. Riku stood there, cracking his knuckles,

" That's disrespect, kid. Didn't I ever teach you about that?"

" No!"

Bam.

" Ow!"

Shaking his head in frustration, Riku went back to packing, leaving Tobi with two newly developed bumps on the back of his skull. Rasheed chuckled softly, then slowly headed over to Kae. The girl was still fiddling with her broken pistol, a look of aggrivation written on her face. Rasheed raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to hand it to him,

" Here, let me see take a look at it, child."

She blinked, straightening as she handed him the gun. He set it down on a nearby table and picked up his staff, chanting a short incantation as he waved the charmed end over it.

Picking up the gun, he aimed it out the 'window' and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He clicked it a few more times. Still nothing. Frowning, he placed it back down and again picked up his staff,

" That's strange... it should've worked."

He then began beating the gun with the staff, Kae's protests unheard by his ancient ears,

" Hey, don't do that! You might--!"

Taking the words right out of her mouth, the pistol instantly shot off, firing an eerie blue bullet sailing across the room to the far wall. It whizzed right through Riku's hair, some of his silvery strands floating gracefully to the floor. He shuddered, his eyebrow twitching at them both,

" You are _so_ lucky."

Suddenly, the sound of something human being penetrated rang in their ears, followed by a harsh cry of pain. Riku instinctively panicked and glanced around,

" Kid!?"

There was Tobi, now sitting on the floor in held-back tears. He sniffled, lifting up his tail to find that it was now bleeding and had a medium-sized hole in the tip,

" My tail...."

* * *

Tobi sat in the back of the ship with Kae, making sure to stay as far away from her as possible,

" I'm never speaking to you again..."

Kae shrugged, turning to gaze out the window,

" That's fine with me."

Riku simply laughed, glancing back at the azure boy from the corner of his eye,

" Oh, c'mon, kid! It's not THAT bad!"

Tobi snorted, tilting his head in annoyance,

" Not THAT bad!? Not that bad? I have a hole in my tail the size of Midgar, and you're tellin' me, ' It's not THAT bad'!?"

" Oh please," Kae interjected, " It's barely the size of a pencil prick!"

" It is not!"

" Is too!"

" Is not--!"

" Alright, you two! Don't make me come back there!"

* * *

About two hours later, the three came across a vast spacefield of ruined worlds. These world were crumbling, sections drifting out towards the end of the galaxy. But, as always, Tobi missed this horrifyingly spectacular sight due to a little thing called sleep. Kae was barely awake herself, her eyes drooping in protest to her mind,

_' I can't fall asleep now... he might try something... I can't fall...'_

The last thing she heard and saw was the soft hum of the ship's engine and Riku glancing back at her.

* * *

Riku sighed, turning back toward the space laid put before him. He recognized these worlds. They were once part of the Disney Kingdom. Shaking his head, he sighed and pressed a button on the control panel. A radio crackled, the voice coming through sounding sleepy and a bit agitated,

**" What do you want?"**

Riku laughed quietly, a slight smile pulling at his lips,

" Whoa, easy marshmallow! It's me..."

* * *

Barret groaned, wiping his hand over his face as he stirred from his sleep. The voice on the otherside seemed weary,

" Did I wake you?"

Barret frowned, rubbing his eyes lightly as he lay back again,

" Kid? What ch'you doin' callin' me so early? Don't chu know a man needs his beauty sleep?"

**" Heh...what beauty?"**

" I'ma hang up on yo' $$ in a minute, you crack on me like that again."

**" Okay, okay... I'm sorry."**

Barret was silent for a moment,

" Alright, who the h$# are you and what've you done with Riku?"

**" What? Barret, what are you--"**

" You heard me, Alien. The Riku I know ain't never apologize!"

Silence on the line. Then Riku coughed,

**" I had a dream about her, Barret."**

" Oh, kid I... I didn't mean to--"

**" No, it's okay. You didn't do any harm."**

* * *

The line went silent again,

**" So, what'ch you dream about?"**

Riku smiled, gazing out into space,

" We out in the rain. She kept calling for me to chase her, so I did. I caught her and spun her around..... and when she landed, she turned and toppled over on me. I thought she was hurt and I was so afraid that if she'd gotten hurt then, well...y'know. But instead, she was just laughing and laughing....."

There was silence between the two of them for a moment, then Riku sniffled, covering his masked eyes with a hand as the Gummi Ship cruised on 'autopilot',

" I miss her, Barret."

**" I know, kid, I know. We all do...."**

A shooting star sailed across the open space, swirling pink and green galaxies lighting up the area before him. It seemed to go on for miles, stretching out into ever-lasting serenity.

**" We all do."**


	21. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Tobi yawned as the ship came to a sudden halt, the engine's fizzling sounding a bit odd to his ears,

" That can't be good."

Riku frowned, seeing that the power to the Gummi's internal systems was being cutoff,

" It's not."

He quickly hopped out and walked over to a hidden compartment where the Gummi's energy was held. Opening the compartment door carefully, he coughed, surprised to be met with a thick cloud of black smoke.

Once the smoke departed, he tried to peer inside, but forgot about his slight disability,

" Hey, Kae. Could you c'mere a second?"

Kae hopped out of the Gummi, her boots crunching on strange gravel as she hurried over,

" Sure. What's wrong?"

He scratched his head, seeming somewhat reluctant to be asking anyone for help,

" Could you...uh... Could you take a look in there and...tell me what you see?"

She nodded, cautiously investigating the compartment and making sure to keep one eye on him as she did so,

" Well, it looks like there's been a fire in here... I can't really tell... OW! Oh, yep. There's been a fire, alright."

Kae slowly blew on her fingers as she pulled her hand away from the fiery hot pipes within the Gummi. Riku muttered a curse under his breath and gave the ship a forceful kick, not surprised when his foot bounced away from it with equal force. He stumbled backward and shook his leg out, a sudden feeling of numbness coarsing through it,

" C'mon, let's see if we can find someone who can fix this piece of s#%$--"

" Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. You mean to tell me that you've been flying us around in this thing the entire time and you don't have a d%$# clue as to how to fix it!?"

Kae screamed after him as he walked off into the distance. Riku shrugged, calling back to her,

" Nope!"

* * *

" I don't BELIEVE this! All this time, and you never once told us that you didn't know how to fix the Gummi Ship!?"

Riku shook his head,

" Are you gonna keep harping on this all day?"

Kae nodded, her voice raised with annoyance,

" Yes! You should know how to fix a stupid ship, honestly! I can't believe you don't know..."

" Well, it's kind of difficult when you're blind--"

" Oh really? Then how is it you can fly the d%$# thing?"

" I don't have to tell you that."

" Oh, so now you decide to be immature, Mr. I-Just-Turned-40-Nine-Months-Ago!"

" Look, I am NOT being immature, alright! And that last comment was so unnecessary, ya big meanie!"

Kae groaned in frustration,

" I can't believe I agreed to come with you on this trip!"

Riku smirked, shaking his head,

" Actually, no one ever asked you to come. You just went along on, shall we say.... a whim, was it?"

She screamed through gritted teeth, clenching her fists tightly as she stormed away from them,

" I HATE MEN!! I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM,_ I HATE THEM_!!!"

Tobi snickered, his fangs gleaming brightly in the harsh sunlight,

" Hey, Riku. That was fun. I never knew you could aggravate women that easily."

Riku dusted himself off and tilted his head,

" It's a gift, takes time to master.... but hey. We should go and find her before she wanders off."

Sighing, Tobi placed his hands behind his head, his tail twitching back and forth as he walked,

" Fine. If we have to..."

* * *

Kae puffed a single strand of hair from her face and growled lowly,

" Ooh, if I _ever_ see those two again, I swear--"

She paused a moment, hearing a strange honking sound. Shaking her head, she took in a deep breath,

" Easy, Kae. It's just paranoia trying to work you into a fren--"

There it was again. She gulped, glancing around cautiously as she readied her pistols,

" --zy..."

Letting herself come to a complete stop, she spun around as quickly as she could, aiming her pistols at nothing but air. She let out a breath of relief and rehalstered her guns, turning back to her anger-steered path. Kae jumped when she realized what was now blocking her path. Two strange little men, both fat and short in size. They had matching clothes and caps, and the biggest, reddest noses she had ever seen. She frowned cautiously trying to hurry around them. Instead, the two moved to block her path again, both honking simultaneously. They did this everytime she tried to pass. Folding her arms across her chest, she glared at them in annoyance,

" Alright, who are you and what do you want from me?"

The one on her left honked at her again,

" Well, that's mighty rude of you, Miss."

The right one honked in agreement,

" Very rude, indeed."

Rolling her eyes, she tried to push past,

" Please, I don't have time for--"

The right one honked again, both men squeezing together,

" State your name and business, please."

Kae snarled, pulling out both pistols and aiming them each between the little men's eyes,

" Fine. It's Kae. And if you don't get out of my way right this instant, I'll blow a bullet into each of your tiny, little brains right now and smile as you twitch spastically all over the ground."

They both gulped simultaneously, honking as they parted for her,

" Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, at your service, Miss Kae."

She smiled, spinning each pistol on her finger before rehalstering them for a second time,

" Now, that wasn't so hard, was it, boys?"

They both shook their heads as she walked off, conversing quietly to one another,

" She seemed a bit impatient, don't you think?"

" Yeah, she's nothing like that _Alice _character..."

" Nope, nothing like _her_ at all......"

* * *

" Riku, where are we?"

Tobi groaned, glancing up into the branches of the eerie, looming trees overhead. Riku frowned, glancing around a bit,

" Hmmm... I'm not really sure. But this place does seem awfully familiar. I wonder why though..."

Tobi tilted his head, glancing down at a tiny ball of coloured fluff walking across his path and of course, letting curiousity get the best of him, followed intently after it.

" 'Cause I'm sure I've never once been here be...fore. Kid? Where'd you go?"

He frowned, glancing back and forth as he scratched his head,

" Well, that's funny. I could've sworn he was here just a minute ago... What the--?"

Riku shook his head, not sure if he was sensing what was possible to be sensing. A small, blue light shaped like a strange-looking dog was sweeping the ground around him, most likely brushing away a path that he couldn't see anyway. The dog pawed around him and onward down the invisible path, sweeping merrily as it went.

Riku frowned, straightening again as he pondered on the event,

" Well... that was... odd."

He then gasped in realization, his eyes widening beneathe his blindfold,

" No....!"

* * *

Tobi blinked, crouching down low as it stopped. He poked at it with his tail and it squeaked, shivering as it ran back to a bunch of other brightly coloured fluffballs. There was a sign right beside them, a sign that had an arrow pointing down. Tobi cleared his throat, reading it carefully,

" Don't step on the momeraths."

He raised an eyebrow, then turned to head back,

" Oookay...."

Frowning, he soon realized that he'd gone pretty far from where he'd seen the little thing,

" Uh... Riku?"

A faint echo bounced back to him, but the echo seemed a bit strange. It kept getting louder and louder instead of gradually fading off. Soon, he realized it wasn't an echo at all, but that someone was actually singing something to him,

" And the momeraths are gray..."

Tobi frowned, glancing back and forth in all directions. He remained silent, still looking for the voice. It spoke again,

" It would seem to me... that you're a little lost, my friend."

Tobi turned to see a smiling mouth up in a nearby tree,

" Who are you?"

The mouth suddenly began to laugh, materializing into the body of a cat. Tobi smirked, laughing at himself as he turned away,

" Oh, it's just a cat."

" Not _just_ a cat I'm afraid."

Tobi spun around on his heel to see the cat leaning against the tree. The cat began filing it's nails with it's thumb,

" It's the Cheshire Cat, if you please. Now, what would I be inclined to call you, my friend?"

Tobi blinked, gazing at the talking cat in awe,

" Dumbfounded..."

The Cheshire Cat smiled,

" Well, it's nice to meet you, Dumbfounded--"

" No, no, no, no, no! It's Tobi!"

The cat nodded,

" Well, then... it's nice to meet you, Tobi. However, I really must be on my way, so if you don't mind...."

The cat began to disappear, stripe-by-stripe,

" And the momeraths are gray..."

" Wait a minute! Can you tell me how to--"

" Just follow the white rabbit, boy. He knows all."

Tobi frowned, the Cheshire Cat's voice hanging dankly in the air,

" The white rabbit? Who's he?"

" Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I'm here, I should be there!"

Blinking in disbelief, Tobi soon saw a small rabbit in a petticoat rushing past quickly, singing at the top of his lungs,

" I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"

He straightened, shaking his head slowly,

" Well, you don't see that everyday..."

* * *

Kae groaned, the two honking Tweedles following her down her path. Nearly screaming at the top of her lungs, she spun on her heel and leaned down to their level,

" Would You STOP Following Me!? I Don't Care About Any STUPID Oysters, OKAY!? SHEESH!!"

She then ran as quickly as she could to get away from them, leaping a fence into another strange-looking place. It looked as though a tea party was being held there....


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

Chapter Twenty-One

Riku sighed, glancing around at his surroundings,

" Well, I suppose if this truly _is_ Wonderland... then I should be running into--"

" Oh, my! Look at this one girls! Have you ever seen such a flower with these kinds of petals?"

A leafy vine suddenly wrapped itself around his head, nearly smothering him. Another lady's voice spoke,

" All silver with a black stem. My, my... he is a strange one, isn't he?"

" Yes, yes... never seen a flower like him in all my days."

Then, as if he were trapped in a nightmare, tons of other flowers began to pull and prod at him, tugging at his hair and clothing as if he were their doll. They all exchanged comments on the pretty new flower, each delighted with what they found,

" He's a pretty one, though, isn't he Rose?"

" Why, yes, Lily. And he's got a good scent, too."

Finally finding an opening to break free of their grasp, he pushed through them and backed away, motioning with his hands,

" No, no, ladies... I'm not a flower."

Lily straightened, seeming to be very shocked,

" What? Not a flower? Then what would you be little one?"

Riku raised an eyebrow,

" Little one? Oh yeah, I ate that weird candy thing back there...."

" Yes, Little One. What are you?"

Riku pondered that one for a moment,

" Um... I'm more like a... Venus Flytrap."

Rose gasped,

" Well, I've never seen a Venus with colours like yours! Where are you from?"

" A very far away place...."

The daisies gasped in unison,

" Oh, I bet he's wild!"

The pansies smiled at him brightly,

" I'll bet he's from another world!"

Another tiny budding flower popped up from behind Rose,

" I don't like him."

" Hush, Bud."

Rose said, clamping a leaf over his mouth(?). Riku sighed,

" Believe me, kid. I don't like me either.. I kinda come... from a dark place."

Orchid placed her leaves on her stem,

" Well, we can all see that! Looks like you haven't got any sun for days!"

" Try more like years..."

The flowers gasped in unison, then began to chatter amongst themselves,

" What do you think he means by that?"

" Poor, dear...looks absolutely drained."

" He's in need of a good watering, that's for sure."

Lily then cleared her throat, staring down at him directly,

" I know what's the matter with him."

The flowerbed immediately hushed. She cleared her throat and spoke again,

" This Venus....is diseased."

* * *

" A very Merry Unbirthday, to me.. to you? A very Merry Unbirthday..."

Kae gasped pressing herself back against the door of the fence as soon as she saw this. Another funny little man was singing with an even stranger-looking rabbit. Hold it, a rabbit?"

" Excuse me!"

The two of them stopped and glanced up at her. She then gulped, feeling uneasy in their presence,

" What exactly is going on here?"

The rabbit, dressed in a red tuxedo with a white shirt underneathe, responded to her quiry,

" Why, we're having an Unbirthday Party, ma'am. Care to join us?"

Kae shook her head, turning back to the fence,

" No thanks, I'd better be heading--"

She stopped, her eyebrows twitching as the honking began to blare in her ears,

" On second thought!"

She ran back over to the table and sat down in the very last chair, a huge red one that was most certaintly big enough to hide her from the Tweedles...

* * *

" White Rabbit, huh? And how does the stupid cat expect me to find a dumb old rabbit?"

Tobi mumbled, treking through the forest in the direction the rabbit had been going. He jumped, a loud horn suddenly blaring from the ground. Glancing down, he saw that he'd stepped on a little horn-shaped duck. It's mother scrambled over and honked loudly at him, ushering it's baby into the bushes. Tobi shook is head, sighing sadly,

" I should be freaked... but I'm not!"

* * *

" Diseased! Oh dear! Shoo! Shoo! Away from our garden with you!"

Rose pushed Riku into a patch of tall grass and Riku shook his head, still hearing the flowers screaming as he walked away,

" They should be glad I'm not a botanist..."

He stumbled wearily through the tall, grassy woods until he reached a peculiar sight. A giant caterpillar was sitting atop a mushroom, smoking a drug of somesort. The caterpillar glanced down, soon noticing him and huffed in some more smoke,

" Who R U?"

He blew the smoke letters into Riku's face, making the shrunken blindman cough rather harshly,

" That... doesn't really... matter anymore."

The caterpillar groaned,

" O, but it _does_ matter, because U C, I have asked U who U R, so U must tell me the answer."

Riku sighed, beating the smoke clouds away,

" My name's Riku."

The caterpillar puffed in another smoke set and spoke again,

" Well, Ree-Koo, what seems to be troubling U?"

Riku frowned, raising an eyebrow at him,

" Troubling me? What do you--"

" U cannot hide yourself behind a mask when the person U are hiding from can C right through it. Now tell me, what is troubling U?"

Shaking his head, Riku sighed and turned his gaze to the floor,

" Everything..."

Gasping, the caterpillar passed a strange object down his hands and extended the last one to Riku,

" Then, here. This should keep your troubles far away..."

Taking it into his hand, Riku felt that it was a small, cylindrical object with a tube extending over to a strange-looking bottle.

He frowned, raising an eyebrow at it,

" What is it?"

The caterpillar took another puff of smoke and grinned,

" _It_ is the answer to all of your problems..."

Riku shrugged, muttering softly as he put the foreign thing to his lips,

" Well... do as the Romans do, I guess..."

Inhaling a great deal of the smoky substance, Riku instantly felt the world around him begin to spin and he quickly pulled away from it, coughing harshly. The caterpillar laughed a bit, patting him on the back,

" Strong, is it? Don't worry, lad. U'll get Used to it."

Riku staggered as the caterpillar prodded another puff from him. After about four times of repeating this motion, however, Riku had to quit,

" What did you.... what d'you do t'me?"

The caterpillar shook his head,

" It was not me, my friend. It was...the drug."

Riku swayed a little, soon having to lean against a tall stem of grass,

" Drug?"

Nodding, the caterpillar puffed in some more of his smoke,

" Yes, A drug... it was A concoction I made myself, really. U C, I blended...."

Pushing away from the stem, Riku staggered away from the caterpillar's incessant chattering and off into a foreign forest of grass nearby, his head swimming in a mass of inverted colour. Everything once black was now white, once red, now cyan. Above that, he couldn't decifer which energies were evil, which were good, and which were just there to begin with. His hearing was fading out and in, almost like he was bobbing up and down in a pool of water. He felt light-headed and disoriented, almost like he was walking through a cloud or on one, he couldn't tell. Everything for him was topsy turvy and the horrifying thing about was that he couldn't control it.

* * *

" I don't have time for this..."

Kae groaned, trying to exit the party as the Mad Hatter dragged her back,

" Oh, you can't leave, yet! We were just about to have tea!"

She snarled at him in annoyance,

" Yes, and if I remember correctly, you two were just about to have tea about TWO HOURS AGO, too!"

Turning sharply from the table, Kae stormed out of the Tea Party Garden mumbling and grumbling obscenities about this new world she'd wound up in. The Mad Hatter turned to the March Hare in confusion,

" What's wrong with tea?"

Kae angrily burst through the forest, shaking her head in fury,

" I had better find those two and fix that stupid ship or I swear to-- oof!"

She suddenly fell backward quickly, her rear landing with a rather hard thud,

" Ow! Hey why don't you watch where you're--"

" SILENCE!!"

Gasping, she immediately glanced up at the bearer of such powerful tones and blinked, her eyes widened in disbelief. Before her stood a hideously enormous queen, guarded by a loyal deck of playing cards. Her tiny king stood beside her, shaking his finger at Kae as his lady spoke,

" How DARE you smudge the Queen's royal shoes! Guards, take her away!"

Kae straightened, two aces suddenly grabbing her roughly by the arms and dragging her off in the other direction,

" What!? But I didn't do-- hey! Where do you think you're hands are going!? Don't you touch me there, you creep! I'll show you a thing or two about ma-- hey! I said QUIT IT!!"

* * *

Tobi sighed, propping his head up on his hand as he sat in a spectacular, golden cage. Beside him seemed to be the only other ''normal'' person in the entirety of this world, a beggar man. Sighing again, he turned to his grungy cellmate and slumped back against the wall,

" So...what're you in for?"

He gasped as a girl was suddenly brought to the cage, kicking and screaming in shrill obscenities,

" WHY YOU DIRTY LITTLE B%$%$#DS!! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! LET ME GO!! I SAID LET GO!!"

One of the aces opened the cage, the other throwing her inside and slamming the door behind her. She growled, running back to the cage door as they walked off,

" Yeah, you'd better run!"

" Kae?"

Kae turned rather quickly, folding her arms in disgust to see Tobi sitting there,

" Oh... it's _you._"

* * *

Riku quickly staggered to a rock, his knees buckling underneathe him as he propped himself against it for support. His breathing had slowed for the most part, now taking difficult breaths as he wandered about Wonderland. He began hearing things, seeing faces and images appear to him that he hadn't seen in many years,

_'" You're stupid! They'll eat your heart..."'_

_'" Okay! We'll finish it together! I'll race you!"'_

_'" Silly, boy... I only want what's best for you..."_

_'" Riku!"'_

_'" No, he can't come!"'_

_'" Riku!"'_

_'" You've gotta run... the Heartless are coming!"'_

_'" Stupid, boy! You think he'll save you after what you did!? You think he'll just... forget.. about how you betrayed his friendship and save you like nothing ever happened!?"_

_'" I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Hikari..."'_

_'" Don't be."'_

A bead of sweat dripped down his face and he pushed away from the rock, a newer, stranger feeling beginning to flush over him...

* * *

" So, what're you in for?"

" Smudging the Queen's royal shoes. You?"

" Sitting on and ripping the Royal Majesty's dress."

" And you?"

The beggar man remained silent for a moment, then smirked triumphantly,

" I touched her boob."

Kae and Tobi glanced at one another and gulped, then took out two munny each and handed it to the man,

" Yeah, I'd say that one takes it.."

" Yep, you can say that again, yeah..."

Suddenly, one of the guards came and opened the cage, dragging Kae out by the arm. She screamed and reached for Tobi, who in turn reached for her,

" No!"

The guard dragged her to a podium and shoved her up it's wooden steps, then slammed a small gate shut behind her. Tobi grasped the golden bars of the cage tightly and glanced back and froth between the Queen and Kae. A small white rabbit then hurried onto the scene, blowing an odd tune into a tiny trumpet,

" Court is now in Session!"


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

Chapter Twenty-Two

" Court is now in Session!"

Kae groaned, the guard shackling her hands before her,

" Court? You've got to be kidding me--"

" SILENCE!!"

Kae coughed as the Queen's breath wafted past her. She waved a hand over her nose,

" Hey, lady. Ever heard of a Tic-Tac?"

The Queen growled,

" I said SIIIILENNNCE!! And if you dare speak again in this court, it will be off with your head!"

Kae snorted, mumbling

" Ooh, I'm so scared..."

The Queen then cleared her throat and turned back to the rabbit,

" Name the charges."

The rabbit nodded, unrolling the scroll,

" The charges are: Treason, treachery, defiance of royal rulings, defiance of the Queen's order, defiance--"

Kae spat angrily, holding her arms on her hips,

" This is bull$#%t! All I did was step on your stupid shoe, lady. Let it go!"

The Queen's eyes bulger in rage, her face becoming a deep crimson,

" GUARDS!! OFF WITH HER--"

" Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, she ain't done nothin' to you, queenie..."

Tobi, the beggar, Kae, and the rest of the court all turned sharply to see someone staggering in. Tobi frowned, his auburn locks fluttering in a gentle breeze,

" Riku?"

The Queen growled, tapping her scepter impatiently as she glared at the new stranger to arrive in her court,

" And just who do _you_ think you are!? How DARE you come into MY court and tell ME what to do!"

By this time Riku's eyes were wandering all over the place and he was laughing a little,

" Wow... this _actually_ looks like a castle..."

The Queen then angrily snapped her rod in two and shrieked at her sentinels,

" GUARDS! SEIZE them..."

Kae gasped, having to propel herself away from the podium with bound hands as the cards began to come after her. They tracked over to Riku, who was staggering so much that he had them all confused. They were slamming into one another, missing him by inches completely. Tobi simply laughed at the sight. The beggar man called to the disoriented Riku,

" Sir! Please, you gotta get the key!"

Riku spun and threw a hand at him laughing,

" Now, there's no need for that..."

Holding out his finger, a small green lightning bolt jumped into the lock of the cage, the lock instantly clicking free. Tobi pushed the door open and smirked, cracking his knuckles,

" It's showtime..."

He then disappeared in a cloud of blueish-gray smoke, leaving the beggar bewildered. Riku staggered over to him and shrugged, leaning up against the cage bars,

" I don't know how he does it."

He was then distracted by a sudden interest in his hand and gasped,

" Wow...."

* * *

Kae grunted, kicking one of the oncoming cards in the crouch. A three of hearts came at her suddenly and hurled it spear downward, consequently bending the chains on her shackles and freeing her. She grinned and grabbed it's spear, then hurled it over her head and took it from him,

" Hey, buddy!"

The three glanced up at her from it's postion and gulped, Kae raising the spear,

" I'm not one for Poker."

The three screamed, it's eyes bulging as it ran away. Kae twirled the spear between her fingers with a triumphant grin,

" Get's 'em everytime..."

* * *

One of the guards, an Ace of Spades, was standing fearfully alone by itself, it's spear ready for battle. It jumped at a sudden tap on it's shoulder and turned slowly, only to receive a combo kick to the face. It fell over and Tobi laughed, blowing air through the hole in his tail,

" Well, that wasn't so bad."

* * *

Riku frowned, glancing at the colours all around him. There was a very strangely coloured one that he could see through his predicament. It was a bright blue one with golden specks in the middle. The power he felt radiating from it was a power he'd felt in only one other person before this moment. A bead of sweat dripped down his face and he narrowed his eyes from behind the blindfold,

" S...Sora?"

* * *

Kae growled at them loudly, then crouched low, using a technique that she hadn't tried in years. Her father had taught it to her when she was only 4 and it had stuck with her ever since. This technique was called "Vortex". She spun in a circle, cutting the cards evenly with one swift blow. However, Kae had never been able to execute this technique properly, and it usually ended in disaster,

" My boot!"

Her boot now sat idle about 8 feet from her.

* * *

Riku's heart nearly stopped and he gulped. It..it couldn't be. He hadn't seen Sora in 25 years, but yet no one knew how to perform "Vortex" or even attempt to except the young brunette.

_' But if Sora truly was here, I would know it....'_

" I WANNA GO HOME!!"

Riku straightened, glancing over in the opposite direction. There was Tobi, running from near a thousand of those stupid cards. Frowning, Riku took a glimpse back at the blue and gold spectral behind him, then glared evilly at the oncoming cards. His newly acquired "drunken high" was now seemingly gone, replaced by a mix of anger and aggravation,

" It ends now..."

Kae gasped and glanced up at Riku. The older man's outline was now glowing a bright green, his staff included. He straightened, standing calmly as Tobi ducked out of the way, the cards coming at him full speed. Tobi gritted his teeth as they all leapt on Riku at once, completely covering him,

" Riku, no!"

Riku, however, was completely calm as he let the energies spiral up from him,

" Ragnarok."

There was a sudden flash of green light exploding through out the courtyard, cards now fleeing with bodies set aflame. Tobi blinked in awe, the cards directly around Riku immediately disintigrating as the speedy attack came and went. The attack was so fast that it seemed to consist of only one hit, but instead, there were many... an estimated 50 hits were calculated in Tobi's brain. He had never seen anything like that in his entire life. Apparently, neither had Kae.

Kae straightened, her smoking guns now dinky compared to the blast she'd just witnessed. She stood in silence, watching Riku with a careful eye. The man's breathing was now extremely harsh, near laboured, and unsteady. One hand tightly clamped his cloak, the other gripping his staff. The Queen remained silent as he turned to her, smiling weakily,

" As you were saying.... your Majesty?"

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she, surprisingly, remained silent. Riku turned to Kae and Tobi,

" C'mon. We're out of here..."

Tobi straightened and glanced over at the cage, hurrying to free the beggar man as they departed. He disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke and appeared inside of the cage. Grabbing the beggar man, he teleported away as quickly as possible and both ran for the exit before the Queen could even bat an eyelash. As soon as she got her bearings, the Queen stifled a scream and beat her fists against the arms of her chair, the white rabbit sinking low behind his little podium.

* * *

" Wow! Riku, you never told me you could do that, before!!"

Tobi exclaimed, bouncing merrily up and down as he ran up beside his forementioned friend. Riku kept his gaze locked on the distant Gummi Ship,

" It's not something I'm proud of, kid--"

" But why the h%$# not!? That was SO awesome! Did you see yourself out there, Riku!? You were like vvveeeewwwwee, vveewwee, schwing, vvv--"

Riku barked at him, causing the boy to stop in his reenactment,

" That's enough! I'd rather you just drop it, okay? Just drop the whole d%$# thing..."

Tobi stopped in his tracks, gazing on silently as Riku headed over to the broken ship. The older man kicked vehicle angrily, then cursed as he limped to a nearby tree. He sat down beneathe it and folded his arms, shaking his head as he mumbled something about "Cid and his stupid inventions".

The beggar man gingerly grazed his hand over the Gummi's exterior, smiling as he walked the entire length around it. Kae raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Tobi, then back at the man,

" Excuse me, sir? Can you fix our ship?"

The beggar nodded, wiping some dirt away from his smudged face. In actuality, the beggar was just a teenage boy, with dark, brown hair that tied back in a small ponytail. He took a look inside the compartment and nodded,

" Oh, I see what's wrong."

Sticking his hand in, he pulled out a little metal object and nudged it with his finger,

" C'mon now, playtime's over."

The metal suddenly blinked at him and floated up from his hand, gurgling happily as it flew circles around his head. Tobi straightened and blinked,

" What the h%$#--?

" His name's Morph."

The beggar said, turning to the azure-skinned boy,

" And I'm Jim. Jim Hawkins."

" With a few more adjustments, your ship _should_ be as good as new."

Riku pouted, still sitting beneathe the tree,

" Hmm..."

Jim turned and flashed him a grin. Tobi was sitting aboard the Gummi, asleep in the back seat while Kae sat nearby and added a few trinkets to her guns.

" You're not one who likes asking for help, are you?"

Riku frowned, lowering his head in silence. This made Jim laugh,

" Me neither... but I'd have to say that it's good to have the option of asking for it... rather than being alone and having no one to turn to, you know?"

Taking in a deep breath, Riku sighed, softly mumbling to himself,

" Sometimes, I'd _rather_ be alone..."

Jim gulped, trying not to make it obvious that he'd heard the man say that. He closed the compartment door and smiled, Morph nudging his cheek affectionately,

" Done. You are now free to roam about the universe..."

Pushing himself up, Riku dusted his cloak off and walked over to the boy, reluctantly patting him on the shoulder,

" Thanks, kid... I guess...I owe you one..."

Jim shrugged,

" Say, could you possibly help me out? Since I _did_ fix your ship and all..."

" What do you want?"

Jim smirked, noticing that Riku was visibly agitated about the whole " IOU one" comment he'd mistakenly made,

" Could you give me a ride off this heap of a planet. I mean, there's no point in staying if the Princess is gone, right? That's just crazy..."

Riku spun on his heel,

" Alice is gone? What do you mean?"

Jim sighed,

" Well, I'm only here for two reasons. One, I came to see Alice. She's been a good friend of my family's ever since I was born. Always was a good customer for our business, too..."

Riku frowned,

" But... I don't understand. Up until just recently, the world's have all been closed off! How can what your saying possibly be true?"

Jim shrugged,

" Same way Hikari did it, Riku."

Riku paused, feeling his heart come to a sudden halt in his chest,

" What....what did you say?"

The boy frowned, noticing how visibly pale Riku was getting,

" I said, ' Same way hackers did it'. Tapped into the world's heart through the use of a main energy outlet and broke through the barrier. Kid stuff, really..."

Raising an eyebrow, Jim questioned the older man,

" You okay, Riku? Looks like you seen a ghost."

Shaking his head, Riku climbed aboard the Gummi, Kae following behind closely,

" I'm fine. Just get on the ship, alright?"

Jim nodded, hushing Morph as the little creature imitated the mysterious man,

" Morph, cut that out... I think somethin's really wrong with him..."

They both remained silent as they watched Riku climb the stairs to the cockpit,

" If I didn't know any better... I'd say that that man is at his wit's end."

* * *

" So, Riku... where are we headed now?"

" Away from Wonderland, that's for sure."

" Are you still high?"

" What? What are you--"

" Back there at the Queen's Castle. You were really out of it."

" That doesn't mean I was high--"

" So were you drunk, then?"

" Kid, what the h%$# are you talkin' about?"

Tobi frowned, folding his arms,

" I saw you, Riku. Does ' Wow, this _actually_ looks like a castle' ring any bells?"

Riku frowned, shaking his head,

" It doesn't sound familiar."

Kae started to snicker as Tobi rambled on,

" See! I told you! You were high!"

" No, I was not! Kid, I'd remember that! I've never once taken drugs in my life!"

" Not even medicine?"

" You know what I mean!"

* * *

A few hours later, Tobi had given up his argument and resorted to gazing out the window....er... gazing at Kae's reflection in the window, that is. She was sitting across the seat from him, gazing out a window of her own. Her expression seemed so sad... or tired, maybe, Tobi couldn't tell. Sighing in boredom, he placed his hands behind his head and this time, actually took a look at the stars. Jim was in the passenger's seat beside Riku, entertaining himself by letting Morph play with his fingers. The little shifter transformed into a young girl with flowing black hair and blue eyes. The girl wore an orange tank top and tight blue jeans, her black sneakers making her feet look extremely clunky.

Riku sighed, his second sight muddled with the strange images of that day. Sora...how could he have seen Sora? It was impossible! And besides that, he recognized the silhouette as Kae's. How could Sora be inside Kae? Riku gulped.... a very creepy thought entering his head. What if Sora and this girl had been...had... He shuddered and shook his head. No way! That was not the answer! Twenty-five years ago, Kae wouldn't even have been born... and if his friend truly hadn't changed, he wouldn't stoop so low as to taking advantage of a girl, now, nearly half his age. Sora was old enough to be her father for Pete's sake!

But then how was it that Sora and Kae shared the same light? He just couldn't figure this one out...

Sighing in a somewhat disturbed manner, Riku glanced down at the little energy in Jim's hand. It was in the shape of a young girl, making Riku frown,

" Who's she?"

Jim jumped, flicking the tiny shifter to make it stop,

" Nobody."

Riku smirked,

" Ah... I see."

" You see what?"

" She's your girlfriend, huh?"

" WHAT!? No way! She's not my girlfriend!"

" Then who is she?"

Jim was silent. Riku smiled even bigger,

" So, where'd you meet her?"

Jim sighed, Morph turning back into the tiny girl,

" I met her in Twilight Town."

This time, Riku frowned,

" Twilight Town? Never heard of that one."

Jim nodded,

" I know. It... was destroyed by the Unknowns anyway."

Riku frowned,

" So, what happened to her?"

Jim shook his head, Morph now dancing up his arm,

" I don't know. I've been looking everywhere for her, but no one seems to know anything about her."

Lowering his head, Riku sighed,

" Sorry, kid. I didn't know--"

"S'alright. Hey, if worse comes to worse, at least she'll be happy somewhere new, right?"

Riku frowned, lowering his head,

_"Riku?"'_

_

* * *

_

_She stood at the door, smiling with tears welling in her emerald eyes. He raised his head, offering her a sorrowful smile,_

_" Don't worry... just get to your aunt's as fast as you can. I'll be alright."_

_Sniffling, she tucked some hair behind her ear,_

_" Does it... really have to be this way?"_

_He nodded, running a hand through his hair,_

_" You and I both know it does..."_

_She lowered her head, noddng sadly,_

_" But--"_

_Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass filled the air and a dark, cold wind swept through the tiny cottage. He immediately rushed over to her and opened the door, hurrying her out to the woods,_

_" Hurry, c'mon!"_

_They both ran through the numerous amount of trees, her hand clamped on her stomach the entire way. He'd made sure to put his cloak on her so that she would appear to be one of the Nobodys as well. She turned as they reached the final tree and gazed up at him with teary eyes,_

_" I love you, Riku..."_

_The sound of twigs snapping behind them alarmed him and he grunted, pushing her along on her way,_

_" Go, Hikari...."_

_She hesitated, gazing at him as the rain poured down heavily. He turned and clenched his fists as the Heartless bounded toward them,_

_" GO!!"_

_Hikari jumped, quickly turning and speeding off into the distance. Tears fell like the rain droplets around them, splattering softly on the already muddy soil as she headed for her aunt's house in Kalm._

_/ Runaway train never coming back..../_

* * *

" Riku?"

Riku snapped out of his daydream as Jim suddenly shook him by the arm. Frowning, he lent an ear to him,

" What? What's going on?"

Jim gulped, scratching the back of his neck,

" Remember that second reason I had for going to Wonderland. The one I failed to mention...?"

" Yeah?"

Jim pointed out the window, sinking low in his seat,

" That's kinda it."

Riku glanced over, a huge red energy swiftly approaching them. He gripped the controls tighter and gritted his teeth, attempting to swerve before it hit,

" S#%#!"

Kae gasped as the Gummi Ship suddenly halted, her head slamming into the window as the enemy ship rammed them from the side. Tobi gasped as he glanced over, the girl now unconscious,

" Kae!"

He soon heard shouts from beyond the Gummi walls and saw strangely clad men leaping on top of the ship. One snarled at him through the window and he jumped. The ship suddenly jerked in protest. Riku took in a deep breath, tightening his grip on the controls,

" Pirates...."


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

Chapter Twenty-Three

" Everybody, hold on!"

Another shudder from the ship's core and the Gummi was suddenly locked in a downward spiral. Morph screamed, clinging tightly to Jim's face,

" Morph! Get outta the way--!"

The little shifter splattered in a leaky puddle on the boy's shirt, still screaming as the speed of the ship's tailspin increased. Jim latched on tightly to the arms of his seat,

" This never happened when Silver was around...."

Tobi scooted over to Kae (as much as the seatbelt would give!) and cradled her protectively, glancing down at the upcoming ocean before them,

" Um, Riku...."

Riku gritted his teeth, pulling back on the controls as hard as he could. Tobi gulped again,

" Riku, this would be a really good time to pull up!"

The man remained silent, his heartrate increasing tenfold as he desperately tried to regain control of the ship. The water was coming up fast. Kae groaned and opened her eyes to hear Tobi suddenly scream,

" RIKU, PULL UP!!"

The ship abruptly collided with the perfectly blue waters, the windshield of the Gummi shattering on impact. Riku was hit full blast by broken glass and a sudden stream of rushing water, instantly losing consciousness. Kae's eyes widened as the water hit her and Tobi, a split second after it had taken out Jim and Riku. She hadn't even had enough time to see what world they'd wound up in. Now she'd never know...

* * *

Tobi grunted, shaking his head as the water surrounded him on all sides. So, this was how he was going to die. Great. Just what he'd always wanted... He straightened, glancing at the others around him. Kae, Jim, & Riku were all unconscious... so much for hopes of surviving! His eyes widened as a sudden suction pulled Riku out of the Gummi Ship and into open water. That's when it hit him. They all had more of a chance to survive in open water (except for himself... he had no chance in any form of water!) Gritting his teeth, he glanced down and unbuckled Kae's seatbelt. She, too, was sucked out of the ship. Now, to save Jim. He quickly scrambled with nervous fingers for the boy's safety fasten and cursed, soon finding that he was running out of air.

Pressing the release button, Jim was immediately sucked out of the ship, Morph following closely seconds later. Now, was the time... the time where he had to just let himself go, let himself sink to the bottom. It had been fun, he had to admit. Twenty years, he supposed, was long enough to have had an accomplished life. He closed his eyes, ready for the end when a sudden light pried him away from death. His eyes widened as he opened them, shining a brilliant gold as he gazed at the strange spectral before him. It was a young woman wearing all white with ebony hair and glowing, emerald irises. She offered to him a smile and floated over the seat, inches away from him. Tobi blinked, awestruck by this oddity. Her ruby lips pursed and she softly kissed his forehead, whispering in his ear,

_' "He would be sad..."'_

His eyes widened and he scrambled to unbuckle his seatbelt as she dissolved, cursing in his head as the thing became jammed. Growling angrily, he held up a clawed finger and hastily sliced the belt in two, screaming slightly as he was sucked out of the ship. Now it was time to hurry. He had let out too much air on that last attempt and things were beginning to become a bit hazy. But how does one hurry when one can't even swim? He soon began to panic, frantically waving his arms around. There was no one here to help him. No Kae, no Barret, no Cid, no Jim... not even Riku was around to help him. He was all alone.

He halted his frenzied movement for a moment and tried to grasp the situation rationally... then he thought,

_' Screw it, I'm running out of air,' _and began to panic again. His vision began to blur dramactically and he let out a muted cry. In one last desperate attempt to save himself, he stiffened his legs and moved his arms as quickly as possible, not even concentrating on them. He even tried using his tail as a mini propeller. Soon, however, he began to feel extremely dizzy and passed out, sinking deeper into the water. The last thing he saw as he blanked out was the form of a strange-looking woman swimming quickly towards him. It almost looked as though she had a fin...

* * *

" Swoggle me eyes... it can't be!"

Riku groaned, half awake and half...well, not awake. His head tossed back and forth slowly, the voice echoing in his ears sounding vaguely familiar. It spoke again,

" Smee! Come quickly!"

He frowned,

_' Smee? Oh no.... anywhere but here. Please, Go--'_

" Yes, Cap'n?"

His thoughts were interrupted by another voice, a voice that he remembered clearly as the bumbling, sniveling, utterly annoying, first mate of Captain Hook. Hook seemed moderately panicked as he spoke again,

" Is this not the same boy... who took over me ship nigh 25 years 'go?"

Smee rubbed the dirt from his glasses on his striped blue & white shirt and peered through them at the semi-conscious man,

" Why, Cap'n! I believe it IS our friend from--"

Hook forcefully grabbed Smee's cheeks and scrunched them together, shaking the stubby pirate's face with his good hand,

" _That_ boy was NOT our friend! The only reason he was tolerated was because it was Maleficent's orders!"

Smee frowned, his cheeks scrunched together in such a way that it made his lips pucker,

" But I thought it was because he controlled the Heartle--"

Hook raised his hook at his first mate, snarling angrily,

" Smee! Do not utter that name in my presence again, do you hear me!? Why just the thought of those fearsome devils makes my poor heart tremble in fright!"

" Sorry Cap'n. But....um... what shall we do with him?"

Hook released Smee's face and headed back to his quarters,

" Send him down with the girl... _she'll_ appreciate his company!"

He slammed the door roughly. Smee then lifting Riku up by the arm, headed down below deck to the brig.

* * *

" Hello? Are you there? Hello?"

Tobi's eyes fluttered open slowly and he was met with the vision of an angel... well, almost an angel. She smiled, her lengthy blonde locks hanging down around her sparkling face. Her eyes were the colour of a meadow with streaks of blues as it's flowers. There was a pure white lily in her hair and she smiled,

" So, you are awake now?"

Tobi slowly blinked, then began coughing and shivering violently. The girl gasped, bringing him into her arms and resting his head on her chest,

" You poor thing... it must've been terrible for you."

Tobi closed his eyes for a moment, then gasped, suddenly realizing that this girl was topless. Her hair was the only thing she had to cover her...well...you know.

He gulped, turning bright purple and shooting away from her,

" Well, I... er... it was...I guess... but now that you've let me breast-- I mean rest-- I think I'll just take off."

The girl pouted, leaning forward and pressing them together to form clevage,

" Oh, so soon?"

Tobi immediately turned away from her,

" Ye-yes... so soon. I have to go find my friends..."

The girl tilted her head,

" You mean that other boy?"

Tobi spun quickly, then just as quickly remembered that she wore nothing up top and spun back around,

" What boy?"

She shrugged,

" The brown-haired one with the funny blob on his shirt by Alana."

Very carefully, Tobi turned and took a look in the direction the strange girl pointed. There was Jim, lying unconscious near another strange, topless girl with brown hair. Morph was now a sickly green colour and it let out soft little groans in distress. Tobi straightened, quickly hurrying over,

" Jim!"

Jim groaned and shook his head, pushing himself up off the ground. He glanced up to see the blue boy running over,

" Tobi?"

He then glanced down at the snot-resembling blob on his shirt and smiled, comforting it with a nudge from his fingertip,

" Morph..."

The little blob whimpered and cuddled his finger as if it were a teddy bear. Jim smiled, then turned back to Tobi,

" Did you find the others?"

Tobi frowned, shaking his head,

" Not yet. I just woke up... Riku's still missing and Kae-- Kae!"

He turned to back to the nameless girl and began to shout frantically,

" Hey! Have you seen another girl? She's about yea high with big blue eyes and dark red hair? We got separated and I really need to find her! Please, miss! Tell me you've seen her..."

The girl shrugged and folded her arms,

" Oh her? Yeah, we didn't like her so we threw her back."

Tobi's eyes widened,

" You did WHAT!?"

She and Alana started to laugh, Alana scolding her friend playfully,

" Oh, Kali! Don't say that! You'll give the poor boy a heartattack!"

Kali pouted, pointing to a small isle,

" Fine. She's over there."

Tobi glanced over and gasped. Kae was still out, her clothes and hair completely saturated with water. Gulping, he hopped carefully from rock to rock and landed on the isle's shore, rushing to her side,

" Kae!"

He knelt down beside her and lifted her head up, shaking her a bit,

" Kae! Kae c'mon! Wake up!"

She was completely limp from head to toe and his heart began to pound fearfully,

" Oh no...oh no, c'mon!"

He pressed his fingers against her neck, trying to feel for a pulse. He got nothing. Her wrist. Nothing. Shaking his head, he pressed his ear against her chest,

" Just because I did it to you, doesn't give you the right to do it to get back at me..."

He closed his eyes, listening hard for her heartbeat.

Kae's eyes fluttered open and she frowned, glancing down to see a blurry blob on her chest. It was a mix of red and blue. She growled, instantly knowing who it was as her vision came back into focus,

" You PERVERT!!"

SMACK.

Tobi was now lying on his back, his eyes swirling around in a daze as a bright red fist appeared on his cheek. Kae was now standing with her arms folded protectively over her chest,

" Serves you right."

Kali shrieked, paddling over to the shoreline with the use of her...fin?

" How dare you hit him you... you... you selfish human!"

A couple other of her finly friends swam over and gasped in unison. Tobi gulped, glancing around, as the strange, fishy girls began to swarm. Kae raised an eyebrow at the mergirl and snorted,

" And just who do you think you are? A reject from _The Little Mermaid_?"

The mermaids again gasped and Kali growled, gritting her teeth as her face became blood red,

" Take that back..."

Kae smirked smugly in a triumphant manner,

" Make me."

Kali snarled, then flashed a little smile of her own and brought her fin up from the water. Tobi gulped, gaping in awe as the mermaid swiftly swung her tail around and forcefully struck Kae in the side, knocking the girl into the waters of the lagoon. Kae screamed just before being dunked into the cold ocean, the mermaids all squealing with laughter. Tobi glanced down at his friend, who was now breaking the surface with a big frown. She walked back onto shore and wrung her trenchcoat out, her hair now hanging in strings around her face.

The mermaids were still laughing rather loudly and Kae growled, clenching her fists at her sides,

" Well... you're all just a lot of fisherman's bait, anyway!"

She them stormed off, muttering curses at them under her breath. Alana giggled pointing at the 'stupid human'

" Look girls! She's got a friend to keep her company!"

Kae straightened and swiveled her hip a bit. Glancing down, she could see that a starfish had attached itself to her rear end. Clenching her fists angrily, she growled and tried to pry it off, but the thing was caught so well that she achieved in ripping a patch of her pants off with it.

Jim choked, trying his hardest to stifle a laugh. Morph just went wild. It was lying on the air, a mock hand on it's 'stomach' as it cried with little squeaks. The other mermaids were mad with giggles. Even Tobi cracked a bit of a smile. Kae bit her lip, took the starfish and hurled it at his face, then quickly ran from the scene as fast as she could, accidently flashing her underwear at them as she retreated. Tobi caught the starfish in both hands in surprise and pried the cloth from it's suckers, then glanced back at Kali. She was so hysterical about the situation that she was crying through her laughter. He growled and hurled it at her suddenly, the starfish hooking itself to her face. She screamed, the other mermaids rushing over to help her get it off.

Tobi then ran in the direction Kae had gone, Jim quickly rushing after him,

" Tobi, wait!"

He stopped and turned suddenly. His little shifter was still squeaking with laughter,

" Morph, cut that out and c'mon!"

The once again pink blob stopped and glanced at Jim, quickly floating after him as he hurried after Tobi...


	25. Chapter TwentyFour

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tobi cursed. He hoped Kae was all right. Those mermaids had been down right b#$ to her! He kicked himself for that stupid smile that ran across his face. That, if not everything else, had hurt her most, and from that last look he'd seen on her face, he could tell she'd burst at any moment... and that was a very ODD thing on Kae's part. That girl couldn't cry, not for anyone or anything.... or could she?

* * *

Kae curled up on top of a large rock, her face buried in her knees. Her shoulders shuddered violently as she choked on her sobs in the middle of the forest. What forest she was in, she had no idea, but she was in a forest. Gulping harshly, she sniffled and glanced down at her chest. Dangling from her neck was a silver necklace with two equally silver rings hanging from the chain. With her head still on her knees, she fingered the rings fondly with one hand, her eyes again welling up with tears,

" If there was ever a time I needed you... it's right now, Daddy."

She burst into tears again, hugging her legs tightly as the sobs became more and more violent. Meanwhile, a pair of bright sapphire eyes peered at her from behind the foliage. The eyes had become fogged with darkness, but they shown a twinge of sympathy for this young girl.... sympathy that their owner could not comprehend at the moment. The person began to step forward to investigate this further, but halted as a strange boy came into the picture. Brown hair fell before the sapphire eyes and the person ducked, retreating from the area before being spotted. A soft chinking sound was uttered from a pendant around the person's neck... a silver chain with a cracked crown dangling from it loosely...

* * *

" How dare you! I demand you unhand me at once!"

A British voice shouted angrily. It sounded like that of a young girl. Riku groaned, shaking his head as he sat up slowly. His hands felt around the new area he was in and he frowned. Wood. The floors were made of wood, the walls were wood... everything was wood! And the slight churning he felt in his stomach definately let him know where he was,

" Great.... just great."

A pirate's voice soon came into hearing range and he frowned,

" As you wish, your Majesty!"

The girl screamed and the door to the cell next to him slammed shut. He glanced over in that direction and peered through the small, barred window adjacent to that very cell. A blue light in the shape of a young girl, maybe 12 or 13 years of age, ran to the bolted cell door and pounded on it violently,

" Let me out of here! Let me out, I said--"

" That won't work, missus."

She gasped and glanced over to the far corner of her cell. Riku frowned, spotting a red light in the silhouette of a man. He was aged near 28. The man wore a hat and tilted it up a bit,

" They're not goin' ta let you out, jus' because you ask them to. They have to want to do it..."

The girl folded her arms, retorting in a 'all right Mr. Smartypants' sort of way,

" And how do you suppose we escape then?"

The man smirked, flashing a gold tooth in her direction,

" Simple... we don't."

He then lowered the hat and returned to his solitude. This, however, did not comfort Riku in the least,

" Hey, girl."

The blue light turned his way and frowned. He shoved his arms through the bars, motioning for her to come over,

" C'mon..."

She seemed a bit hesitant to do so, but slowly stepped over and knelt down beside the tiny window,

" Y-yes?"

Riku offered her a smile,

" Don't worry, I won't hurt you. But, that man over there? He will--"

" I'll do none of the sort, mate. I don't harm innocent lit'le girls."

Riku's heart stopped and he glanced up to see that the man was now glaring at him from under his hat,

" You shoul'n't judge a book by it's cover..."

Riku frowned, growling lowly at him,

" Who said I was?"

The man smirked, snickering a bit,

" Well, your a _funny_ man, aren't you?"

The girl sat down beside the window as Riku grabbed her arm protectively,

" Very..."

The girl sunk to the floor, cowering a bit to the wall as the man in the corner lowered his hat again,

" My goodness... why, your--"

" Blind? I know."

She frowned,

" Then how were you able to see--"

Riku smirked,

" I have a special kind of sight that allows me to see different energies. You're a sparkly blue, so that means you're a good person. Gold means something kinda like good. Green, I've recently figured is inanimate objects such as walls, floors, stairs, windows... the occasional dead person...."

The girl gasped at this, but she let him continue,

" And red.. red signifies evil. That man over there is red through and through, so I want you to stay over here with me, alright?"

She nodded, then frowned,

" What about you? Are you evil?"

Riku straightened, lowering his head,

" I... I don't know."

* * *

" Kae!"

Kae glanced up, her eyes red with tears. She wiped them immediately and turned away, angry with the person running up to her,

" Go away, Tobi. I don't want to talk to you."

Tobi sighed, shaking his head,

" Kae, I'm sorry--"

He said as he walked around the rock to face her. She turned away, ignoring him completely. Again, he sighed,

" Kae... Kae, would you listen to me? I said I was sorry! Kae, listen--"

Kae jumped up from the rock and turned on him, her face red with a mix of tears and anger,

" No, Tobi! You listen! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? How utterly humiliating that was? No... of course you don't. Your brain is too puny to even comprehend what humiliation is..."

She began to head off in the other direction, leaving Tobi staring straight ahead. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, reopening them slowly,

" Actually.... I know exactly how that feels..."

Kae spun on her heel and frowned, looking him up and down,

" You... you do?"

He nodded, running a hand through his hair,

" Everytime you and Riku have ever cracked a joke on me.... to tell you the truth, I know exactly what you're saying. And to be frank... I'm humiliated everyday by it."

Kae lowered her head, a feeling of guilt instantly swelling in her gut,

" I... I'm sorry."

He shook his head,

" Don't be. I'm so used to it by now that it doesn't even hurt anymore. Actually, some of those jokes are pretty funny!"

Tobi said, forcing a laugh. Kae smiled, letting out a breathful snort as she tucked some wet hair behind her ear,

" I'll stop then... if you want me to--"

Tobi shook his head,

" No, no! If you quit cracking on me, Riku will go into double time! It's better to have the jokes come from both of you then to have them coming double from him!"

Kae laughed again, bringing a smile to Tobi's face. He hadn't seen her laugh, truly laugh, during the entire time they'd known each other... which had been about a two weeks.

He then cleared his throat and reached into his pocket as he headed for her rock,

" Now, take off your pants."

* * *

The young girl in the cell beside him, known as Jane, sighed,

" I wonder how long it will take for someone to rescue us..."

The man in the corner, Jack Sparrow as he seemed to be called, snorted, his hat still resting over his eyes,

" No one will be rescuing us I'm afraid, young lady. I mean, ever since the so-called 'death' of Peter Pan and the tragic fall of the Keybearer..."

Riku straightened, clasping the bars of the tiny window,

" Sora!? What happened to him!? Where is he!? What do you know about him!?"

Jack merely snickered, his gold teeth flashing with a smirk,

" Obviously a lot more than you..."

" TELL ME!"

Jack reared his head back into the corner of the room, frowning as he crossed his legs,

" Easy now, old man. Don't get your panties in a wad...I'm afraid to inform you, _good _sir, that the Keybearer is now resting in his grave. He and his bonnie lass were brut'lly slain nigh 14 long years ago..."


	26. Chapter TwentyFive

Chapter Twenty-Five  
  
" What...what did you say?"  
  
Jack tilted his hat up and raised an eyebrow,  
  
" Are you deaf? I said they're dead."  
  
Jane frowned as Riku stood shakily and walked over to the far wall,  
  
" Are you alright?"  
  
He ignored her, lost in his own thoughts,  
  
'" Cid said the Nobodys referred to Sora as 'lost'..."  
  
'" Where is Sora?"'  
  
'" It's about Sora..."'  
  
'" You're stupid! They'll eat your heart!"'  
  
'" Okay, we'll finish it together!"'  
  
'"Riku!"'  
  
'" ...looking for the Keyblade and the heart of the Princess..."'  
  
'" Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you?"'  
  
'" The Heartless obey me now, Sora..."'  
  
'" Riku!"'  
  
'" Take care of her."'  
  
Riku leaned back against the wall and slid down, all thought suddenly halting abruptly. They were gone... his friends were gone.... his ONLY friends were gone. Everything he'd fought so hard for those past 25 years... all of it was in vein! With those words his soul evaporated, evanescing into the nothingness of the dark. He felt as though he'd been stabbed, shot, punched, gutted, thrown up, run over by an 18-wheeler... he felt like he... like he...  
  
Like he himself had died.  
  
" EXCUSE me!?"  
  
Tobi blinked, glancing up at her. Kae seemed to be in a state of utter shock and terror from his words... so he repeated them,  
  
" I said 'Take off your pants'."  
  
She shook her head, turning with a speedy pace,  
  
" No way! Just because I'm a little down right now, doesn't give you the right to assume that I'll let you have your way with me!"  
  
Tobi's eyes widened and he shook his head,  
  
" WHAT!? No, Kae! I mean, 'Take them off so I can fix them'!"  
  
She spun on her heel,  
  
" Fix...them? You mean you weren't trying to--?"  
  
Tobi cringed, shaking his head more fiercely this time,  
  
" Eeewwww, no! Kae, that's disgusting!"  
  
Kae seemed a bit hesitant towards him and looked him up and down,  
  
" Are you sure?"  
  
" Yes! Kae, I'm not that kind of person!"  
  
Kae snorted, her arms folding across her chest,  
  
" Sure you aren't..."  
  
" Kae!"  
  
" Okay, okay... fine!"  
  
She reached down and unclasped the button of her pants. Tobi blushed as she started to pull them off, jumping in surprise as she screamed at him suddenly,  
  
" Do you mind!?"   
  
Jane clasped the bars of the window and peered through them at Riku,  
  
" Um, sir? Are you all right? Sir?"  
  
" Don't bother. 'E won't be talking much for the next few hours..."  
  
Jack said, standing and walking over to the cell. He squatted down next to her and took a look at Riku. The older man was sitting by the far wall and for the first time, actually looked his age. Jack frowned, tapping the bottom of his ring against the metal bar,  
  
" Hey. Hey, you. Cheer up, aye? It's not exactly the end of the world. I mean, you've still got your whole life ahead of you... or at least 50 more years... but still! You could... find yourself a bright young lass, move to Africa. Have plenty of babies with her, watch them grow to be strapping young lads.... may not necessarily see your grandkids, but hey! What've you got to lose?"  
  
Riku remained silent. Jack gulped, shaking his head as he turned to Jane,  
  
" I don't think he likes that idea."  
  
Jane smiled uneasily as she scooted a bit away from him. Jack took in a deep breath and sighed,  
  
" I'm not gonna hurt you, miss. I would never--"  
  
The door to their cell suddenly opened up and the pirate from before came in, snatching up Jane by the arm,  
  
" The Captain wishes to see you..."  
  
Dragging her out, he swiftly slammed the door in Jack's face as the ex-Captain followed after them. The bars in the door allowed him to reach through and tap the pirates shoulder. When he had the man's attention, he cleared his throat,  
  
" Did he happen to mention anything about me?"  
  
The pirate snarled at him, looking him up and down. He then proceeded to spit in Jack's face and headed on down the hall to the deck. Jack blinked, wiping the pirate's saliva from his eyelashes,  
  
" Well... he's friendly enough."  
  
Kae tapped her fingers impatiently on her cheek and sighed,  
  
" Are you done yet?"  
  
Tobi slowly pushed the needle through her pants and squinted his eyes,  
  
" Almost."  
  
She glanced over at him,  
  
" How long is 'Almost'?"  
  
" 10 more minutes."  
  
She groaned and propped her head up on her hand,  
  
" Well, could you hurry up? I'm feeling a draft..."  
  
Tobi snorted,   
  
" But, you're a girl. Girls wear dresses, don't they? How is your trenchcoat any different?"  
  
" Because it's a trenchcoat."  
  
" You know what I mean..."  
  
Two sets of eyes peered at them through the foliage, both identical in looks. Their owners snickered, eyeing the girl atop the rock,  
  
" Hey, look at that!"  
  
" Yeah, do you think she could be our new mother?"  
  
" I dunno... let's go ask Peter!"  
  
" Yeah, Peter would know!"  
  
" You dum dums!"  
  
Another set of eyes appeared, it's owner's body seeming to be a bit tubby,  
  
" Peter's missing remember! We still gotta look for him!"  
  
One of the other two pouted,  
  
" Oh yeah... then... do you think she could help us find 'im?"  
  
" Yeah! Let's go see if she'll help!"  
  
The other of the twins ran out into the open, Tobi smirking in triumph,  
  
" There! All-- hey!"  
  
A young boy dressed in raccoon pajamas ran out of the bushes and snatched the pants, running off into the woods again. Kae screamed, leaping off the rock as she bolted into a run,  
  
" Hey! Those are my pants, you little worm! Bring them back here!"  
  
Tobi followed after Kae, the three disappearing into the forest. The remaining raccoon boy and his friend, a bulky kid dressed as a bear, stepped out into the open. The bear kid shook his head, covering his eyes in humiliation,  
  
" Oh no..."   
  
The raccoon child laughed as he ran through the woods, his pursuers not far behind him. If he could just get to the treehouse, then maybe...  
  
" Ahhh!"  
  
The kid screamed as a strange blue demon popped up in front of him. The demon reached for the pants and he screamed, instinctively kicking it in the shin. It let out a cry and he ran off, disappearing into the foliage.  
  
Kae ran up to Tobi, who was now whimpering and blubbering like a baby,  
  
" What happened!? I thought you had him!"  
  
Tobi sniffled, hugging his leg tightly,  
  
" He kicked me..."  
  
Shaking her head, she ran off after the disappearing kid,  
  
" Baka!"  
  
The kid grinned, soon seeing the girl coming up fast behind him. She reached out with her arm and growled, her fingertips just grazing his hood,  
  
" GotchaaaaAAAHHHH!"  
  
She screamed as a rope suddenly snagged her foot and she was dragged off the ground, hanging upside down in a nearby tree. The kid turned and smiled, two others, another raccoon and a bear, coming up behind him. She snarled, her arms flailing at them angrily,  
  
" You kids let me down from here this instant! Or I swear I'll... I'll...!"  
  
The bear stepped forward, interrupting her angry spout,  
  
" Sorry, missus. I'm afraid we can't let you go just, yet..."  
  
" And so you see, they never knew I wasn't one of them... of course if they had ever gotten wind that one of their clerics was having a bit of after hours fun with their nuns, then I'm sure they would've eventu'lly figured it out, but...."  
  
Jack sighed deeply, glancing over to see that his neighbour was still impassive,  
  
" You're not list'ning to me, are you?"  
  
Riku remained silent. Jack frowned, rubbing his chin in thought,  
  
" Personally, mate, I think there's something the matter with you..."  
  
Still nothing. Jack sighed,  
  
" A bit depressed, are we? Well, how's about a joke? Let's see... what was that one that Will told me not too long ago... Oh, yea, what do a pirate and a procurer have in common?"  
  
Jack waited a moment to see if Riku would respond. Of course, he didn't. Jack scratched his head,  
  
" They both say, ' Yo ho'."  
  
He laughed a moment at his own joke, then coughed and composed himself, clasping a metal bar off the tiny window-let,  
  
" Not one for humour, aye?"  
  
" You two, go get the lady some water, will ya?"  
  
The Twins nodded, saluting Cubby as they ran off,  
  
" Yessir!"  
  
Kae frowned as Slightly handed her a blanket to wrap around herself,  
  
" So, you all live here alone?"  
  
Cubby shook his head,  
  
" No, of course not! Usually Peter..."  
  
He sniffled, suddenly bursting into tears,  
  
" Usually Peter takes care of us!!"  
  
Nibs came up behind him and patted his shoulder,  
  
" It's okay, man. Let it out..."  
  
Kae rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath,  
  
" Give me a break.... So, you want me to find this 'Peter' guy, for you? Is that it?"  
  
The three in the room nodded. She shrugged, pushing herself up off the floor,  
  
" Well, that shouldn't be so difficult... should it?"  
  
" You're joking."  
  
The three boys shook their heads simultaneously. Kae let out an annoyed groan,  
  
" I have to search this entire island! That'll take days... weeks even! Why don't you just wait for this 'Peter' guy to come back? Patience is a virtue, y'know..."  
  
Cubby sniffled, the Twins following in his fashion,  
  
" But what if he's hurt or somethin'?"  
  
" Yeah, what if he's hurt?"  
  
Kae opened her mouth to protest, but Cubby quickly interrupted,  
  
" He could be in trouble, missus! Hook could've got him! Or a crocodile... or-or an octopus--"  
  
Groaning again, she sighed and shook her head, sorely rubbing her temples,  
  
" Fine, fine! Just stop whining, okay? You're giving me a headache."  
  
Cubby immediately brightened up,  
  
" So, you'll help?"  
  
Kae nodded, a deep feeling in the pit of her stomach screaming at her that'd she'd soon regret it. The three boys cheered in joy, the Twins grabbing her by each arm as Cubby led them toward the shore.  
  
Meanwhile, a shady figure had been eavesdropping on their conversation. The figure peered out from behind a nearby tree, darkness swirling in their perfectly sapphire eyes..... 


	27. Chapter TwentySix

Chapter Twenty-Six   
  
Tobi frowned, glancing in all directions. Where had she gone off to? He limped a little as he walked, trying to get to a clearing as quickly as possible. Sighing after what seemed like maybe 50 minutes of torture, he folded his arms and snorted, puffing his bangs from his eyes,  
  
" Well, this is fun."  
  
Taking in a deep breath, he frowned and sat down on his tail, using it as a stool. After a few moments of listening to the crickets chirp, the bees buzz, the birds squawk, the owls hoo......  
  
Kae groaned, slumping her shoulders as the three boys lead her down the road,  
  
" Do I really have to wear this?"  
  
They all three turned and smiled. They'd just stopped by the Indian camp and asked Tiger Lily if they could use some of her old clothes. She'd agreed, in only signs of course as Tiger Lily was not one for conversation, and lent them a two piece, tan, leather skirt and top. She'd also done up Kae's face to make her appear more native. Cubby nodded,  
  
" Of course you do! Don't you remember the plan?"  
  
She groaned again, as she listened to the boy ramble on,  
  
" How could I forget it?"  
  
" ... dressed as Tiger Lily. Captain Hook'll find you, capture you, and use you as bait to bring Peter out of hiding!"  
  
Rolling her eyes, she sighed,  
  
" And you're sure this plan is fool-proof?"  
  
.....the woodpeckers peck, the dogs bark, the cats meow, the babies cry( wait no, that was just in his head) Tobi clenched his fists, bolted up from his seat and sped further into the forest,  
  
" Kae!"  
  
" What do you want from me?"  
  
Jane demanded, sitting far across the room from Hook. Two pirates each stood beside her to make sure she wouldn't try anything. Hook grinned,  
  
" Want? Oh my dear, want is such an... inadequate word. I don't want anything from you... I DEMAND it from you."  
  
Jane straightened, her eyes widening as she pushed back against her seat.  
  
" And then they made me their chief--"  
  
Suddenly, the door to Riku's cell opened, creaking loudly as Smee's silhouette shadowed over the man,  
  
" There he is, boys. You may take him to the Captain now. But, uh, do be careful with him... the Captain wants him to be unharmed."  
  
Two pirates trudged into the cell and grabbed Riku by either arm, pulling him off the ground and forcing him out the door. Jack's ear twitched as he heard the cell door shut and quickly ran to his, calling to Smee from the door' barred window,  
  
" You. Little man. Did your cap' say anything about me?"  
  
Smee took his hat off, wringing it nervously in his hands,  
  
" N-no... I'm afraid not Mr. Sparrow."  
  
He then quickly hurried off down the hall to the stairwell. Jack sighed, walking back to the far wall,  
  
" Well, at least he was nice abou' it."  
  
Tobi gasped as he made his way out to the shoreline. A beautiful pirate ship was stationed in the middle of the ocean, not far from where the Gummi Ship had sunk. He scratched his head, frowning,  
  
" Hmmm. Wonder why I didn't see that before."   
  
He gasped suddenly as he saw a couple pirates struggling with what appeared to be an Indian girl farther up the shoreline. They tied her hands behind her back and shoved her forcefully into their boat, then rowed off toward the ship. Tobi's eyes widened as he noticed that the 'Indian' had a strikingly familiar appearance,  
  
" Kae?"  
  
Riku was now sitting in Hook's chamber, still as lifeless as he was in his cell. Jane frowned, pouting as she glanced over at him,  
  
" What are you so sad about?"  
  
He didn't respond, just as she'd expected. She then frowned, noticing that a picture had dropped from his pocket and landed on the floor. Stepping over toward it, she kneeled down and plucked it off the ground, gasping,  
  
" Why... that's the boy my mother..."  
  
Jane frowned, glancing back up at Riku. She gasped again, soon realizing that he matched the other boy in the image,  
  
" Why... you two were friends, weren't you?"  
  
The door soon opened, startling her and she shoved the image into her own pocket. Two pirates came in, dragging a young, indian girl with them. They shoved her in from the doorway and snickered as she tripped, falling to her knees,  
  
" That's what ye get fer bein' so defian'!"  
  
The door soon slammed behind her and she snarled, turning on her heel. She stopped herself before she spoke, remembering that Tiger Lily usually never uttered a single word.  
  
Jane blinked,  
  
" Excuse me... would you happen to be Miss Tiger Lily?"  
  
Kae turned suddenly, her red, braided pigtails flopping as she hesitantly nodded. Jane smiled,  
  
" Nice to meet you, I'm Jane."  
  
She held out a hand, Kae having to act like she didn't know the gesture. Jane smiled, laughing a bit,  
  
" Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. It's called a 'handshake.'"  
  
Kae frowned again, feeling overly humiliated about having to act so...so...  
  
" Come on, it's all right. Just hold out your hand and I'll do the rest."  
  
Mentally groaning, Kae shakily extended her arm to the young girl and wobbled as the strong shake shook her entire body. Jane then smiled,  
  
" See? That wasn't so hard."  
  
She then glanced back at Riku and frowned,  
  
" And this... well, I'm not sure of his name at the moment--"  
  
Kae gasped, forgetting about her roleplaying for the moment,  
  
" Riku!"  
  
Jane was taken aback by the girl's sudden shout and frowned,  
  
" So, you know him then?"  
  
Kae nodded, kneeling down and grabbing Riku by the shoulders,  
  
" Riku? Hey, Riku! It's me, Kae. Snap out of it, would ya--"  
  
" Hey, I thought you just said your name was Tiger Lily--"  
  
" Oh yeah? Well, I lied."  
  
Jack sighed, tapping his fingers on his leg as he sat alone in his cell. He began to hum a zany little tune, the tune soon forming words,  
  
" I've got a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts, dee-da-lee-dee, and there they are a standing in a-- whoa!!"  
  
He jumped, startled as he glanced up to see a strange, demon-looking creature standing there,  
  
" How the h$# did you get in 'ere?"  
  
The blue creature shrugged, a pointed tail with a tiny hole in the tip whipping about behind it,  
  
" I opened the door?"  
  
Jack frowned, raising an eyebrow as he took a glimpse of the open door behind the azure boy.  
  
" Smee! Get over here!"  
  
Smee scrambled hurriedly over to his captain and saluted, sweating in high anxiety,  
  
" Y-Yes, Captain?"  
  
Hook gazed out at the ocean, speaking calmly to his bumbling first mate,  
  
" Are me ears deceiving me, Smee, or did I just catch word of you capturing the Princess Tiger Lily?"  
  
Smee nervously rung his hat in his hands, glancing back and forth from his captain to the deck,  
  
" Well... um... you see Captain Hook, sir... I... um... I thought it best to--"  
  
" A little faster with that answer, MR. SMEE!"  
  
" Y-Yes, Captain! We did, sir!"  
  
Hook sighed, responding to the stubby one's answer calmly,  
  
" And what, may I ask, made you think that I needed Tiger Lily for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER!?"  
  
Smee jumped, hastily shoving his hat back on,  
  
" I-I don't know! I'm sorry Captain! I'll take her back straight away!"  
  
Smee scrambled hastily for the Captains chamber, but halted at the sound of his superior's voice,  
  
" Hold on, Mr. Smee. Don't take her back just yet."  
  
Smee paused and turned around, waiting for his captain to speak again. Hook smirked,  
  
" I think we may need her... for a little test." 


	28. Chapter TwentySeven

A/N: Okay, I kinda wrote these next few chapters at about 2 or 3 in the morning, so bear with me if they suck a little, okay? I'm not even sure if they really make sense or not. And to all of you who keep asking who Hikari is, you'll just have to wait and piece Riku's memories together to figure it out! That's what they're there for! Must sleep...must sleep now...  
  
Chapter Twenty-Seven  
  
" So, you're saying you can take me to Riku?"  
  
Jack nodded, glancing around the corner to see if anyone was coming,  
  
" If you help me out of this h$# hole, then I assure you most definat'ly that I'll help you to your friend."  
  
" Friends."  
  
" What?"  
  
Tobi took in a deep breath and sighed,  
  
" 'Friends'. I have two people I'm looking for on this boat."  
  
Kae frowned, tapping Riku on the shoulder,  
  
" Hello, Riku? Come in, Riku. Are you listening to me?"  
  
Riku didn't respond. The girl behind her sighed,  
  
" He's been like that ever since Jack told him about the Keybearer back in the brig--"  
  
Kae spun around to face her, one of her lengthy, ruby, braided pigtails whipping her in the face,  
  
" W-what did you say?"  
  
The girl blinked in confusion,  
  
" He's been like that since we were in the brig--"  
  
" No, the other part. About Jack... and the Keybearer. What did Jack say?"  
  
She straightened, Kae's eyes sparkling with interest. The girl sighed, shrugging as she stepped over toward them,  
  
" I don't know, really. All he told Riku was that the Keybearer has been dead for 14 years and Riku just spaced out! I can't explain what would make him do that, though. It's rather strange, really..."  
  
Kae slowly turned her gaze back to Riku and frowned,  
  
" How... how can that be possible...?"  
  
The girl behind her gasped, both jumping as the door suddenly swung open. Three pirates stormed in, two grabbing Kae and the girl, the other dragging Riku out by the neck, and took the three of them up to the deck.  
  
Tobi and Jack glanced at each other, then quickly dove behind two barrels opposite each other as they heard three pirates come clambering down the hall. They each had a prisoner with them, all three dressed in odd, animal pajamas. Two were dressed as racoons, the other as a bear. Tobi raised an eyebrow as they passed, the bear kid spotting him with a happy squeal,  
  
" Hey, your that guy from earlier! How's it goin', buddy?"  
  
The pirates all three turned to glare at the azure 20-year-old, snarling at him viciously. Tobi gulped, lending them a sheepish smile as they each pulled out their daggers and advanced toward him,  
  
" Hiya... nice little weapons ya got there..."  
  
He readied himself to fight them off when they all heard a loud sneeze echo from behind the other barrel. Then a sniffle. The pirates turned their gazes to see Jack crouching behind it, wiping his nose and clearing his throat. The ex-Captain then glanced up in surprise and coughed,   
  
" Must be catching the flu..."  
  
The grungy pirate pushed Kae out toward the edge of the deck, smirking as he placed his hand onto her rear. Her eyebrow twitched and she immediately kicked back at him, her moccasin-ed foot butting him in the crotch. He yelped and fell sideways, groaning in pain. She then began to storm up to Hook. Two other pirates rushed quickly and grabbed either of her arms before she managed to reach their Captain, however, and she kicked her legs out trying to hit him at least once,  
  
" Let go of me!! LET GO, I SAID!!"  
  
Hook smirked, the tip of his hook suddenly poking at her chin. She stilled, glaring evilly into his eyes. Hook flashed her a toothy grin,  
  
" Fiesty little girl, aren't we?"  
  
Kae snarled at him, her eyes burning with anger and pure hatred,  
  
" Tell your men to unhand me right now, for if they don't, I'll be sure to blow each and everyone of their heads straight off their shoulders and when I'm done shooting holes in them, I'll feed every last one of their bloody corpses to the crocodiles. Got it?"  
  
Hook chuckled for a moment, soon breaking in to roaring fits of laughter. The crew around them did the same. This only annoyed Kae further. After a few moments, Hook wiped his eyes and shook his head,  
  
" Why Princess... look around you! Do you think a tiny girl such as yerself can even begin to face the terrors of me own pirate crew?"  
  
Kae narrowed her eyes at him,  
  
" I've faced an entire army of Heartless, Mr. Hook. Do you honestly think your horde of pathetic pirates frighten me? Why, you and your lot aren't even a blip on my radar..."  
  
Hook gulped, then growled and directed his crewman toward the end of the deck. The unruly pirate pushed her over to where his Captain had aimed him... the plank. Hook smirked, turning as the sound of the door bursting open met his ears. Three more men in his crew filed out, this time with more prisoners than he'd expected. There were the three Lost Boys they'd spotted with Tiger Lily, as well as that sorry excuse for a man, Jack Sparrow. But he frowned as soon as his eyes met the other boy there. This kid's skin was completely blue. He had crimson hair that fell just past his ears and a silver hoop dangled from his left earlobe. The boy wore an unbuttoned, plaid, overshirt with a white, muscle tank underneath and drawstring khakis hung on his waist. The strangest and most chilling thing Hook found about this boy, however, were his piercing golden eyes. Those eyes were reminiscent of those demons who boarded his ship 25 years ago... or those of their true master...  
  
Hook coughed, shaking his head of those thoughts,  
  
" Boy, what's your name?"  
  
The boy grinned at him,  
  
" What's yours?"  
  
" No, boy... answer the question, then I'll answer yours."  
  
" Are you sure you can answer my question?"  
  
" What? What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Kae smirked, shaking her head. So that was Tobi's tactic the first time they met... to annoy her to death so he could get what he wanted. She snorted,  
  
' So... I guess all those big words he used didn't mean he was smart after all...'  
  
Hook growled,  
  
" Now, boy! Tell me your name!"  
  
" Sorry, can't. You still haven't answered my question."  
  
Hook raised his hook to the annoying young man, then got an idea and quickly turned around,  
  
" Smee!"  
  
Smee stepped out from behind a larger crew man and saluted his Captain respectfully,  
  
" Yes, Captain Hook, sir!"  
  
" Have the girl walk the plank."  
  
Hook then turned back to Tobi to see if his theory was correct. Yes, Hook had a theory. His theory was that the Lost Boys had dressed this girl up to look like Tiger Lily so that he would take her on his ship and make her walk the plank, thus luring the great Peter Pan out of hiding. However, the fatal flaw in the boys' plan was their ignorance of Pan's death and being that as it may, their plans would backfire and this innocent girl would, too, wind up history. So, instead of Tiger Lily, he believed that this young girl had something to do with the boy before him and quite possibly the two of them had ties with Riku. Of course, after a few moments, this theory began to give him a strong headache and he discarded all of it as nonsense. Now, he just wanted to test to see if the crocodile or octopus liked the taste of her better than him.  
  
He turned before seeing the concerned look on the boy's face and smirked, heading back over to his crew. Kae stood on the edge of the plank, hands now tied behind her back. She tried to head back to the deck, but the several swords suddenly pointed at her chest made her back up. Hook smirked, the feather on his hat fluffling slightly in the wind,  
  
" Any last words, my dear?"  
  
Kae smiled,  
  
" Yeah. How about ' burn in H---!"  
  
Hook cut her off by stomping a foot on the wooden plank, making the other end spring up and knock her off. Jane gasped, the pirates around them all beginning to howl with laughter. Tobi grunted, struggling to be freed of his captour's grasp to no avail. Jack just sighed and shook his head. Hook smirked in triumph, turning back to his prisoners,   
  
" Gents... I believe she'll be needing some company--"  
  
" Not so fast, Hook!"  
  
Hook stiffened, a flying silhouette soaring up behind him, Kae in it's arms. He turned slowly to see his smirking adversary there behind him and his eyebrow twitched,  
  
" Smee."  
  
" Yes, Cap'n?"  
  
" Who be that boy floating there behind your Captain?"  
  
" Why... it be Peter Pan, sir!"  
  
Hook snarled, growling as he spun around,  
  
" Peter Pan!?"  
  
Peter grinned, smirking as the Captain's eyes began to bulge out of his head. Quickly setting Kae back down on the deck, Peter made a face at Hook and stuck out his tongue, then hastily dodged the swipe of Hook's hook toward his face. A battle cry soon sounded from the other end of the deck and three more boys ran onto the scene, each dressed like a fox, a rabbit, and a skunk. The three other oddly dressed boys cheered, kicking away from their captours as the pirates stared dumbfounded at Peter Pan's sudden return.  
  
Tobi shrugged, knocking out his captour with a backhanded fist to the face and rushed over to Kae. They stared at each other for a moment as the chaos between the Lost Boys and the Pirates began, Tobi utterly confused about her attire,  
  
" What're you...?"  
  
She groaned as she nimbly caught a flying pirate sword and slammed it against his chest,   
  
" Don't ask."  
  
Tobi then took hold of the weapon and fought off the stupid pirate who was running over to retrieve it.  
  
Kae soon came up behind the pirate who had pinched her butt and tapped his shoulder, smiling brightly at him as he turned around. He smiled back, but soon winced in pain as she kneed him once again. Then it was lights out as she reared her fist back and clipped him in the jaw. She shook out her fist, wishing greatly that she had her gloves on again. She straightened as soon as she felt a tug on her skirt and prepared to beat the crap out of another pirate, but was surprised when she found a small boy offering her her clothes and her pistols. The kid was cute and she smiled, patting him on the head as she walked off into Hook's chambers to change.  
  
Jack frowned, turning to face a pirate who'd just tapped his shoulder,  
  
" Now, friend. How do you expect a man to fight without his effects?"  
  
The pirate just smirked, completely shocked when Jack's hand suddenly transformed into a gun and shot the sword right out of his hand. It then changed back and Jack picked up the sword. He smiled, then jumped at the coward suddenly,  
  
" Boo!"  
  
The pirate screamed like a little girl and ran off, leaping overboard to get away. Jack's eyebrows raised and he gazed at his hand, nodding as he headed off for another fight,  
  
" Not bad...."  
  
Hook growled as he chased Peter up to the crow's nest and called down to his crew,  
  
" Smee!"  
  
Smee popped up and scurried to stand before the mast, gazing up at his Captain,  
  
" Yes, sir?"  
  
" Have that fiendish Riku walk the plank, would you!?"  
  
Smee nodded,   
  
" Yes, sir! Right away, Captain Hook!"  
  
He then waddled over to the ever statue-like, Riku, and began to lead him by the hand toward the plank, chatting with him like he were an old friend,  
  
" Now, not to worry, Mr. Riku, sir, alls you're going to do is walk the plank..."  
  
Jack frowned at this and raised an eyebrow, struggling to keep another pirate from slicing his throat,  
  
" Well... that's interesting."  
  
He then pushed the pirate away and turned back toward the sea, soon spotting some large disturbance in the water,  
  
" That's very interesting...."  
  
Kae growled, a knock on the door interrupting her as she tied her shirt back up,  
  
" Just a minute."  
  
They knocked again, more violently this time and she sighed, picking up her pistol and shooting through the wooden door. A girlish scream came from beyond, then the scent of stale whiskey wafted in. She shook her head,  
  
" Pirate."  
  
Kae finished tying up her shirt and quickly put on her trenchcoat, then headed out the door. She made sure to step over the pirate's body and frowned. A very large shadow was steadily growing over the deck. Her gaze slowly rose upward to find a large wall of water heading straight for the ship, as well as the even larger whale behind it. She nearly dropped her pistols as it's towering figure loomed overhead and gasped, glancing around in an almost frantic manner,  
  
" Tobi!"  
  
Tobi glanced over at her, knocking an oncoming pirate away with his tail,  
  
" What?"  
  
He then noted that it had become darker all of a sudden and glanced up to see exactly what Kae was talking about. He also happened to notice the lone figure standing on the plank and gasped, screaming as he quickly headed forward to him,  
  
" Riku!!"  
  
Riku was deaf to Tobi's calls and remained where he was, the looming water soon cascading over the edge of the ship. Tobi had just nearly reached Riku before everything on deck washed away. Kae's eyes widened, unable to move as the wall forcefully came down on her and knocked her backward.   
  
Peter gasped, quickly trying to fly higher to escape it. Too late. If the wall of water hadn't caught him, the whale would've anyway. The whale let out a loud groan, swallowing the ship and all of it's contents whole. It then flew onward, back out into space and away from Neverland. 


	29. Chapter TwentyEight

Chapter Twenty-Eight  
  
_" What happened next, Daddy?"  
  
Her father laughed, shaking his head as the small girl bounced up and down on her bed,  
  
" Well... nah, I think I'll wait to tell you till tomorrow night."  
  
She pouted, her bounces each climbing in height,  
  
" But... I...wanna...know...what...happened....to....the....Princess..es...now! Did...Ansem...get...them...all? And...what...happened...to...your...friend...Daddy? What...happened...to... ahh!"  
  
She screamed suddenly, losing her balance and fell forward into her father's strong arms. He spun her around in a circle and she giggled, stretching her arms out to either side,  
  
" Daddy, I'm flying! I'm flying!"  
  
After a few seconds of that, he laid her down onto her bed and pulled the covers up over her. She yawned,  
  
" Daddy, is Mommy really a Princess of Heart?"  
  
He smiled, his spikey hair bobbing up and down as he nodded,  
  
" Uh huh."  
  
He handed her a soft yellow teddy bear that wore a red shirt and she happily as she took it in her arms, yawning again,  
  
" Would that make me... a Princess, too?"  
  
He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through the four-year-old's short, auburn locks,  
  
" Uh huh."  
  
She yawned a third time as he kissed her forehead,  
  
" Daddy?"  
  
" Yeah, angel?"  
  
" I love you."  
  
She saw a smile cross his lips one last time before she closed her eyes, his voice now drifting within her dreams,   
  
" I love you, too."_

__

Kae groaned, opening her eyes slowly. Her vision was hazy as she glanced to her left, then her right. A long, multicoloured shape came into focus and she gasped, quickly pushing herself up off the strange, squishy ground,  
  
' Tobi...'  
  
She crawled to Tobi's side quickly and shook him, trying to prod him awake. He groaned, swatting her hands away,  
  
" Five more minutes, Riku..."  
  
Kae shook him again, more forcefully than the first time, but it proved to no avail. He groaned again and smacked her in the neck,  
  
" Go away... I don't want any ice cream..."  
  
She growled at him, about ready to knock the boy into tomorrow, when she suddenly realized what kind of place they were in. A large cavern strange squishy floors, partly filled with water and with numerous types of bones lining the walls. The last thing she remembered was a giant wall of water, though... and,  
  
" The whale...it swallowed us!"  
  
Tobi suddenly jumped, stirring awake,  
  
" No, we CAN'T let the trolls eat the ponies!!"   
  
He then paused, Kae snorting as he turned to look at her. She smiled, her eyebrows raised in confusion,  
  
" What was that about?"  
  
Tobi frowned, his tail whipping about curiously behind him,  
  
" What?"  
  
Shaking her head, she stood slowly and glanced around,  
  
" So, where do you think we are, now?"   
  
Tobi shrugged,  
  
" In the whale's mouth, I guess--"  
  
" No! I mean, where do you think the whale is taking us?"  
  
" Oh," he said and pondered for a moment,  
  
" I dunno."  
  
Groaning, Kae again shook her head, Tobi smirking as he took notice of her pigtails,  
  
" Nice hair, Pippi."  
  
She glared over at him evilly and growled, startled as he suddenly shot up from where he was sitting. He rushed up beside her, gazing out at the murky ''sea'' before them. There towers of wood nailed together all across the tiny ocean and he gasped, spotting a figure lying half submerged in the mucky waters,  
  
" Jack!"  
  
Jack had landed awkwardly on the platform. His upper half was clinging to the wood for dearlife, while his lower half was soaking up the dirty reservoir around him. Tobi gasped as Jack suddenly sank into the ''lake'' and, running for the ''shoreline'', he instantly disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. Kae dove in to the waters head first and fished around for the ex-captain for a few moments, then resurfaced to find that Tobi was waiting anxiously on the platform. Diving again, she found that Jack was lying at the bottom of the whale's mouth and hurriedly swam down to pick him up. Grabbing him by the arm tightly, she swam for the surface and over to the platform. Tobi pulled him up, then helped Kae out of the water. She knelt down by Jack and tapped his face lightly. Nothing. Tobi tilted his head, poking at the pirate with the tip of his blue tail.   
  
Jack stirred, confused when he glanced down to find the source of the tapping,  
  
" Bloody h$#?"  
  
He tried to sink away from the strange blue object and frowned. He recognized Tobi, but the girl beside him didn't seem too familiar,  
  
" Hello."  
  
Kae saw the look on the pirate's face and wasn't at all pleased,  
  
" Don't even think about it."  
  
Jack frowned in response to that and sat up as the girl walked to the edge of the platform. Tobi shook his head and shrugged,  
  
" PMS."  
  
The pirate nodded in understanding,  
  
" Oh..."  
  
Kae folded her arms, now frowning in thought. What had happened before she woke up? There had been a plank... an annoying man had made her walk it, but she was caught by a boy...  
  
' That must've been Peter.'  
  
A huge brawl had ensued.... then she'd changed clothes...the wall of water and the whale...but, what else?  
  
" Riku!"  
  
Kae turned to see Tobi glancing around the whale's cavernous mouth in slight hysteria. He returned her gaze, his goldeneyes full of intense worry,  
  
" What happened to Riku?"  
  
Jack walked up behind Tobi and glanced around the whale's mouth with a raised eyebrow,  
  
" Well.... he obviously coul'n't have gone far." 

Darkened sapphire eyes peered at the form of an unconscious man lying on the floor. The man, with his silver hair and pale skintone, seemed all too familiar to the eyes, but the eyes had long forgotten who he was. The eyes were foggy, distant...faded. They weren't the eyes they used to be. The one belonging to the eyes was hidden well behind a strange wall of colours. The wall was slimy and disgusting, the eyes saw, but that did not matter to them. They just wanted a closer look.  
  
The owner of the eyes jumped as the unconscious man lying on the floor coughed, suddenly stirring from his slumber. The eyes were grateful...but they did not know why. The man let out a yelp and cursed, pushing himself onto his back. His arm was broken. The eyes held sympathy for the man, a sympathy they could not explain to their owner. The man on the floor coughed again and with an audible curse, pushed himself off the wet floor. The owner of the eyes gasped. That voice was all too familiar as well... that voice was,  
  
" Riku?"  
  
Riku's head shot up and he frowned,  
  
" Hello?"  
  
The hidden figure was startled and crouched back further. Yes, this man was the one. This was the one his Master had told him off... the one he was supposed to kill. With a new sense of achievement, the figure silently crept away, never letting on to Riku that he was even there in the first place.  
  
Riku shook his head, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his arm. What was going on? What happened to him...and where was he now? From the feel of the place, (the humid air, the wet, squishy floors, the strange sensation of hot breath all over his body) it sort of reminded him of,  
  
" Monstro."

" Riku!"  
  
Tobi frowned when he received no response in return and was thoroughly disgusted as he was rewarded with a glob of saliva on the head. He cringed, straightening as it slid down his shirt,  
  
" D$$#... that's so gross..."  
  
Kae made a face when she turned back to him, then laughed a little,  
  
" Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about your face."  
  
Tobi narrowed his eyes as she turned around,  
  
" Actually, I was talking about yours, Pippi."  
  
Kae growled and clenched her fists, her eyes shut tightly,  
  
" Thou shalt not kill the idiot...thou shalt not kill the idiot...thou shalt not kill the idiot..."  
  
Jack frowned, glancing around at the place,  
  
" So, how long have you two known each other, anywho?"  
  
Tobi shook himself off, his hair still slick with whale spit,  
  
" I dunno... two, three weeks now."  
  
" Oh really?"  
  
Kae nodded, glancing around the corner cautiously,  
  
" Yeah, why?"  
  
Jack shook his head,  
  
" No reason. I just thought it interesting that you two act so much like a married couple when you hardly know each other."  
  
Kae and Tobi both glanced at each other and cringed with a simultaneous,  
  
" Ewwwww!!!!"  
  
Jack simply smirked.

Riku grunted as he stepped slowly down the passage. He remembered clearly where he was now...  
  
' " What's wrong, Sora? I thought you liked games..."'  
  
Riku's eyes widened beneathe his blindfold and he suddenly remembered what had lead him here,  
  
" Sora.... Kairi...."  
  
' " The Keybearer and his bonnie lass were brut'lly slain nigh 14 long years ago..."'  
  
He then clenched his fists tightly and was in a near growl as he spoke,  
  
" Ansem."

The cloaked man stood by the window, a brilliant flash of lightning shining on his face. Darien stood behind him, clearing his throat to get the man's attention,  
  
" Master? Master Ansem?"  
  
Ansem's glowing gold eyes burned in triumph, a low chuckle escaping his lips as a sickening grin spread across his face. His plan was working perfectly. With the Keybearer revived... his old pet would be history in no time at all.  
  
No time at all....


	30. Chapter TwentyNine

Chapter Twenty-Nine  
  
Tobi sniffled, pouting as he paused for a rest,  
  
" We'll never find him....!"  
  
Kae groaned, her pistols held faithfully at her sides,  
  
" Stop being such a baby! We've still got a long way to go yet!"  
  
Jack nodded,  
  
" Yes, but exactly where to is a different story..."  
  
Kae glared back at him, her eyes narrowed,  
  
" Do you want me to shoot you? Because I will..."  
  
" HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!!"  
  
The three of them glanced up and frowned. Tobi was the first to speak,  
  
" I think someone's in trouble!"  
  
Both Kae and Jack gave him incredulous stares, Kae hurrying after the voice. Jack shook his head, muttering to Tobi before rushing after her,  
  
" It's a good thing your pretty...."  
  
Tobi smiled, thinking highly of himself for a moment. Then he realized what Jack had actually meant by it,  
  
" Hey!"

* * *

Riku sighed in defeat. He couldn't lug his stupid, broken bones around any longer. Sitting by the opening of what he'd dubbed 25 years ago as 'Chamber 5', he winced and gently ran his fingers over his right arm. A tiny bone by his elbow had shot through the skin and was now jutting out through the sleeve of his cloak.  
  
_' No wonder it hurts so much...'_  
  
He unzipped his coat half way and whimpered, slowly pulling his arm out of the sleeve. It hurt like mad when he straightened it and he screamed, doubling over in pain. Why did that stupid whale have to swallow them anyway? He then sighed,  
  
_' Same reason why Sora had to die...'_  
  
Shaking his head, he sighed again and leaned back against the squishy wall. He closed his eyes, not even realizing that he fell out of consciousness...  
  
_' " Riku!"'_

* * *

_The brunette ran quickly across the bridge, his hair bobbing with each step,  
  
" Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!"  
  
" The door... has opened."  
  
" What?"  
  
" The door has opened, Sora," he said, turning to face the brunette,  
  
" Now we can go to the outside world!"  
  
Sora shook his head,  
  
" What're you talkin' about? We gotta find Kairi!"  
  
" Kairi's coming with us!"  
  
The boy was taken aback by his sudden outburst and silenced himself.  
  
" Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again... there's no turning back! But this may be our only chance, we can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"  
  
He held out a hand to Sora, waiting patiently for the boy to take it. Sora's expression was that of concern and fear,  
  
" Riku..."  
  
A pool of darkness soon puddled beneathe his feet, Sora running quickly to grab hold of his hand. At the time, he thought he'd been wanting to join him. But now, as he watched his memory play on, he realized that the reason Sora reached for him was not join him, but instead...it was to save him.  
_

* * *

" HELP! SOMEONE HELP!!"  
  
Kae scrambled into the chamber quickly, both pistols at the ready. She found the source of the screams and groaned, shaking her head as she rehalstered them,  
  
" Jane?"  
  
Jane shook her head back and forth. She was lying on the floor, her eyes shut tightly as a glob of saliva hung above her head, anxious to splatter her. Kae groaned, screaming the girl's name this time,  
  
" JANE!!"  
  
Jane opened her eyes and shot up quickly... right into the goo. She then screamed and stood, running to the older girl,  
  
" GET IT OFF ME! PLEASE! SOMEONE GET IT OFF ME!!"  
  
Kae took the girl by the shoulders and shook her fiercely, waiting for the girl to look up at her,  
  
" Jane! JANE!!"  
  
Jane stopped and gazed up at her with big, blue eyes. The teen shook her lightly as she spoke,  
  
" It's just spit."  
  
She then let go of the girl and shook the saliva from her hands, heading for the next room. Jack and Tobi entered afterward and saw the girl shivering. Jack shrugged, folding his arms,  
  
" Got ya good, di'n't he?"  
  
Jane cringed, glancing over at Tobi. He smiled to her, but she shied away. It wasn't every day that she saw a friendly, blue demon smile at her. Tobi caught the expression on her face and his tail drooped, as did his smile. Quietly, he hung his head and headed into the next chamber after Kae. Jack felt a little bad for the boy, but remained silent. He didn't want to cause any trouble by one of his quirky little jokes.

* * *

_' "Hello? Sir, are you alright?"_  
  
_He opened his eyes to see a pair of emeralds gazing back at him. This made him jump and she pressed a hand to his chest soothingly,  
  
" It's alright! You're safe now... What's your name?"  
  
He glanced around at the surroundings. It looked as though he'd found himself in a snow-covered forest. A pure white fox with pale blue eyes sat to his left, staring blankly at him when he glanced over at it.   
  
The girl sat to his right, pressing a cool hand against his forehead,  
  
" Sir, I think you should come with me. You're burning up something awful! Sir?"  
  
He set his sights back on her, taking note of her features as his vision went out. The girl was about the age of 15 with deep emerald eyes and lengthy, ebony locks. Her hair was tied back in a half ponytail, tiny white flowers nestled between each braided hair leading to the back of her head.   
  
Her dark bangs nearly shadowed her eyes, but the green in them seemed to glow softly in the dying sun. Her skin was fair, highly contrasting her hair, and her ears seemed to come up in a slight point. Her lips were the colour of rubies and as she raised a hand to touch his cheek, he could distinctly hear the sound of chinking charms. The sun cast a halo around her head, so at the time, she'd seemed like an angel to him. And she was. She truly was...  
_

* * *

Riku groaned as the memory faded, soon realizing that he was lying on his arm... his BROKEN arm. He yelped and quickly rolled over onto his back, a sharp pain suddenly blasting through his ribs. He felt around the sore spot with his good hand. Apparently, it was not just his arm that had broken, but the lower right set of his ribs, too. He coughed, regretting doing so soon after, and sighed,  
  
" Great. Just great..."

* * *

" So, what happened to you again?"  
  
Tobi asked. The three had gotten so bored lagging behind Kae that they'd begun conversing about how they came to be here. Jane sighed,  
  
" Hook kidnapped me to lure Peter Pan out of hiding. He took me from my home in London and stuffed me in a bag, then flew me here on his ship, the Jolly Roger. And as you can see... we've kind of been eaten by a whale."  
  
Jack nodded,  
  
" So, then why did Hooky call you up to his office, luve?"  
  
Jane shrugged,  
  
" He was paranoid. After the octopus had ''supposedly'' swallowed Peter Pan, he wanted to make sure that his rival was dead. And he was going to use me as bait to see if Peter would come to the rescue. And that's when..."  
  
" That's when I came along dressed as Tiger Lily, so he decided to test me out first."  
  
Kae responded, still marching ahead at the same pace. Jane nodded to the other two,  
  
" Exactly. What she said."  
  
Jack nodded, turning to Tobi,  
  
" Makes a lot of sense now at to why he di'n't want me."  
  
Tobi smirked,  
  
" Yeah. You're not a pretty girl and you don't have boo--"  
  
" You guys."  
  
The group's attention was drawn to Kae as she stood at the opening to another chamber,  
  
" I think you all may want to hold your nose..." 


	31. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty  
  
" I've ne'er been so disgusted in me whole life..."  
  
Jack said, carefully trotting around large blobs of brown and pink. Tobi used his tail to pinch his nose shut and Jane covered her mouth to keep from puking. Kae shook her head, completely unfazed by the smell,  
  
" Well, what'd you expect in The Bowels of a whale? Peppermint rose--?"  
  
Tobi grinned a bit,  
  
" Hey, I used to watch that show!"  
  
The three of them shot him confused looks and he shrugged,  
  
" It was all that was on at 7 in the morning!"  
  
They all shook their heads and headed past him, causing him to shout as he followed behind,  
  
" What!?"

* * *

Riku had drifted back out of consciousness again and groaned, tossing his head in his restless sleep,  
  
_" Hey, look at this!"  
_  
_ The two peered over the side of the mountain, spotting a large caravan off in the distance. He raised an eyebrow,  
  
" What exactly is it that we're looking at?"  
  
Hikari smiled,  
  
" The circus you ran away from."  
  
Riku frowned, pushed himself off the dirt ground and headed back for the bike. Hikari turned and giggled, quickly hurrying to him and grabbing hold of his arm,  
  
" No! C'mon, you have to see this!"   
_

* * *

" Riku!"  
  
Tobi then darted away from the group, not wanting them to see exactly what he'd had for lunch...which had been nothing. He then groaned,  
  
' I hate puking on an empty stomach...'  
  
" Tobi, are you okay?"  
  
He turned to see that Kae had stopped the entire group to wait for him. He brushed it off with a smile,  
  
" Y-yeah. Don't worry! I'll be just..."  
  
His stomach turned again and he hastily sped off in the other direction, uncertain of where his vomit would lead him to this time. Kae straightened and called to him, hurrying after the blue blur,  
  
" Tobi, wait!"  
  
Jack and Jane glanced at each other and shrugged, then darted after Kae.

* * *

_" What? What do I have to see?"  
  
Hikari tucked some hair behind her ear as they both laid back down on their stomachs and peered over the hill,  
  
" You see those animals over there?"  
  
Riku raised an eyebrow at them,  
  
" Yeah..."  
  
" Those are chocobos. The men down there are going to have a race to see which of their chocobos is the fastest. My aunt used to bring me here all the time when I was little and we'd have a picnic while watching them."  
  
" Why stay up here? Couldn't you just go down and watch on the sidelines?"  
  
Hikari turned to him and raised her eyebrow,  
  
" And pay admission?"  
  
He shook his head and turned his gaze back down to the caravan. Hikari gasped as she looked over the array of racers,  
  
" Oh, wow! I didn't know he was still in the game!"  
  
Frowning, he turned and snatched the binoculars from her hand,  
  
" Who? Who do you see?"  
  
She huffed angrily and snatched them back,  
  
" Hold on a minute! I'm not done looking yet!"  
  
She then smirked,  
  
" Oh yeah... this oughta be good..."  
  
" What? What are you seeing!?"  
  
Handing them over to the impatient boy, she sighed,  
  
" You see that black chocobo down there? That's Teioh. He's been racing ever since I was a kid. He's the fastest chocobo on the track and for good reason, too. His rider is Irvine Kinneas, one of the best riders there ever was. He's always loading Teioh up on Silkis Greens before the races..."  
  
" How do you know so much about this stuff, Hikari?"  
  
She turned and batted her big green eyes at him, smiling,  
  
" Well...I'm not just a pretty face , you know, Ree-Koo."  
  
Shaking her head, she turned her gaze back to the races. He smiled as the bell went off, watching her expressions as the race went on. She was so into this race...   
  
Their good spirits soon fell as a dark shadow floated it's way over them. He shot his gaze up to the cloaked man behind them and growled, his eyes widening as the man took a firm grip of his shoulder. The touch was cold and an icy feeling coarsed through his entire body. Hikari's screams faded out as he glared into the man's hood. Nothing was there...nothing was there at all...  
_

* * *

Apparently, Tobi's stomach had led him to another chamber. This one smelled tons better than the bowels of the place, but it still had a stagnant feel to it. Of course, he was inside of a whale. He bent over a little ways and what he was sure was his lungs spewed out from his mouth, hitting the floor with a hideous plop. Cringing, he felt himself turning green and he gulped, confused upon hearing a strange groan,  
  
_' Hold on a minute...that didn't come from my stomach...'_  
  
Tobi glanced up from his position and gasped, seeing a familiar figure lying on the floor a few feet behind him,  
  
" Riku!"  
  
He rushed to the man's side and shook him, shocked as a tense hand suddenly wrapped tightly around his throat. Tobi gasped for air, grabbing hold of the man's arm,  
  
" Ri..ku... Riku, it's...me..."  
  
Riku frowned, quickly letting the boy go,  
  
" Tobi?"  
  
The boy coughed, gasping as he pushed away from his mentor,  
  
" What... the h%$#... was that about?"  
  
Riku shook his head, stuttering a bit,  
  
" I-I thought you were someone else."  
  
" Hopefully you weren't thinking of me, mate..."  
  
He glanced over toward the new voice to see the silhouette of an man. The man was practically glowing red. Riku growled at this,  
  
" What're you doing here?"  
  
Jack put his hands up in defense and shook his head,  
  
" Easy with the accusations, old man. I'm not here to hurt anyone..."  
  
" Like h%$# you aren't. And stop calling me 'old man'. I'm not old..."  
  
" Whatever you say, grampa."  
  
Riku growled again, pushing himself off the ground. He tried to stand up straight, but winced, staggering into a nearby wall. Tobi shot up like a rocket and hurried over to him,  
  
" Riku, what's wrong?"  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Riku shook his head,  
  
" Nothing, kid. I'm fine."  
  
Kae snorted at that one,  
  
" Right."  
  
Riku shot her a glare, which didn't do much with the blindfold covering his eyes. He winced again and slid down to his knees, Tobi's seriousness sounded a bit out of place as he spoke,  
  
" Riku, please. Tell me what's wrong with you."  
  
Riku chuckled, instantly regretting it,  
  
" Please specify."  
  
" Riku, I'm serious!"  
  
Jack stepped up, throwing in a bit of concern for the man,  
  
" The kid's right, mate. You don't look too good."  
  
The pirate's comment made Riku frown,  
  
" The same can be said for you, I'm sure."  
  
Kae rolled her eyes and marched right over to where Riku was kneeling,  
  
" Men."  
  
She then knelt down beside him and grabbed his right arm, pulling it out straight. Riku yelped in pain, cursing loudly at the young girl. Inspecting his arm closely, she squeezed it at the elbow and nodded as he cursed again,  
  
" His arm's broken. And from the looks of things..."  
  
She then pressed her finger tips against his ribcage and he grunted, coughing up a bit of blood. He was certain she was taking a sick, twisted pleasure out of all this. Sighing, she stood back up and turned to Jack,  
  
"...it seems his ribs are, too."  
  
Jane glanced up at the girl and frowned,  
  
" How are you able to tell?"  
  
Kae shrugged,  
  
" Well, for one thing. There's a bone peeking through his sleeve. And feel this..."  
  
She took the young girl's hand and despite Riku's protesting, pressed it up against his ribcage,  
  
" Feel that rift? Your ribs shouldn't feel like that."  
  
Riku groaned again as Kae ran the girl's hand along his ribs,  
  
" Okay, okay, OKAY!! ENough wIth THE medICS, Dr. Quinn..."  
  
Kae glared at him, her eyes seeming like ice,  
  
" I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that."  
  
Riku's eye widened under the blindfold, his voice raising as he spoke,  
  
" Oh really? Oh really? Well, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't TOUCH ME!!"  
  
Jane giggled, she and Tobi exchanging glances. There was a sudden shudder and Jack lurched sideways,  
  
" Okay, did everyone feel tha' or was it just me?"  
  
The whale shuddered again and Tobi fell forward into Riku, his leg crashing into Riku's side. Riku yelped, cursing loudly,  
  
" SON OF A--"  
  
Jane screamed, falling sideways to the floor. She glanced up to see that the walls of the cavern were moving,  
  
" What's happening!?"  
  
" Don't worry. He's just gotta--"  
  
A sudden fowl wind swept through the cavern, Jane covering her nose in disgust,  
  
" That's disgusting..."  
  
Kae coughed, as the smell washed over them,  
  
" Tobi! Didn't I tell you NOT to have the refried beans at dinner?"  
  
Tobi swallowed hard, nearly spewing that dinner all over Riku,  
  
" Shut up..."  
  
Riku took in a deep breath, wincing as he sighed,  
  
" Ahhh... what a lovely smell..."  
  
" I tried to warn you. He just had to burp."  
  
They all glanced over at the newest person in the room. Jane's spirits immediately lifted,  
  
" Peter!" 


	32. Chapter ThirtyOne

Chapter Thirty-One  
  
Kae blinked, staring wide-eyed at the boy as Jane squealed with joy,  
  
" Peter...Pan?"  
  
Peter folded his arms and shortly nodded,  
  
" That's my name."  
  
She narrowed her eyes, lightly pressing her fingertips to her lips,  
  
" Then...then those stories. Those stories that my father used to tell me... they're true?"  
  
Riku raised an eyebrow at this, remaining completely silent. Kae had never once mentioned her father before, not once...  
  
Peter grinned, sitting himself in the air,  
  
" Stories? Really? Were they about me?"  
  
Kae glanced over at him, shaking her head,  
  
" Well, I suppose if you're really standing here right now, then yeah! My father....he was always so happy when he'd speak of this place... it was almost like... he'd been here before. He said he and his two friends went traversing across the universe, searching for someone, I think...I-I can't remember. But this... this was definitely one of the places he mentioned--"  
  
Tobi grinned,  
  
" You mean Neverland or this huge $$ whale we're stuck in?"  
  
Kae groaned, shoving him in the elbow. Tobi had been expecting her to do that, however, and had already pinned his tail in the floor beside him for balance. He then stuck his tongue out at her, so she punched him in the face. That sent him reeling. Jack turned and snickered, angering the boy, who was covering his now bloody nose,  
  
" SHUT UP!"   
  
Peter smiled, resting both hands on his knees as he floated weightlessly beside Jane,  
  
" Wow! Your father is a pretty smart man, um..... who are you exactly?"  
  
Kae blinked, then cleared her throat,  
  
" Kae."  
  
" Well, your father is a pretty smart man, Miss Kae."  
  
Kae nodded, averting her gaze from the others,  
  
" Yeah..."  
  
Riku frowned, piecing together what little info Kae had given him,  
  
_' Her father had two friends that went across the universe with him in search of ' something'...or did she say ' someone'? And that time when I saw her perform Vortex... Barret said something back in Midgar, what was it?'_

* * *

**_Midgar  
_**  
**_" Well I'll be d$#d...  
  
He frowned, his blindfold ruffling a bit,  
  
" What? What is it?"  
  
Barret shook his head, not able to take his eyes off of her,  
  
" Nuthin'. Just thinkin' out loud."  
  
He turned in her direction, still frowning,  
  
" Oh, her? That's Kae--"  
  
" Yeah, yeah... I know. But... she looks like..."  
  
Turning back to Barret, he raised an eyebrow in question,  
  
" Looks like...?"  
  
Barret tore his gaze from the mysterious girl and shook his head,  
  
" Nuthin'. Nevermind. Now, what was it you was sayin'?"

* * *

_** Riku's eyes widened from behind the blindfold and he inaudible gasped,  
  
_' No....it can't be!'_  
  
Peter placed his fists on his hips, returning to the ground,  
  
" Well, it looks like you guys need a way out of here."  
  
He then turned and pursed his lips, whistling so loud that it knocked Riku back into reality,  
  
" Tinkerbell!"  
  
Suddenly, a small spectral of glowing light zoomed down to him, circling him a few times before perching itself on his shoulder. Tobi blinked and pushed himself off the ground,  
  
" What is it?"  
  
Peter smiled,  
  
" This? Oh, this is Tinkerbell! She's my fairy!"  
  
The azure boy bent down a ways to make eye contact with the little pixie, poking at her with his finger,  
  
" She's so small... OW!!"  
  
Quickly, he backed away and shook his index sorely,  
  
" She _bit_ me!!"  
  
Peter snickered at him,  
  
" Well, of course she did! You provoked her!"  
  
" I did not!!"  
  
Kae laughed at the boy, smacking him in the arm,  
  
" Yeah, Tobi. I'm with you on this one."  
  
Tobi raised an eyebrow as she turned to face him,  
  
" You... you are?"  
  
She nodded, poking at his face,  
  
" Of course doing _this_ wouldn't prod a pixie into biting you're finger off--"  
  
" Oh, you shut up."  
  
Riku coughed, pushing himself up off the ground,  
  
" Well.... not that I'm trying to diss you are anything, Peter... but I think we can find our own way out..."  
  
Peter shrugged, pulling Jane into his arms,  
  
" Suit yourselves. C'mon Tink, back to Neverland!"  
  
Both Peter and his pixie then shot out of the cavern at high speeds, Jane screaming the entire way.  
  
Tobi turned to Riku, both fists clenched tightly,  
  
" Wh-What did you do THAT for!? Peter was gonna show us a way out--"  
  
" Don't worry. I've already figured out another way."  
  
Riku then held out his left hand and closed his eyes, his body glowing green. That familiar little black portal appeared before him, steadily growing by the minute. Jack raised an eyebrow at this and quietly snuck away as the young boy complained. This would be an interesting little thing to report to his Master.  
  
Tobi gulped,  
  
" Do we have to?"  
  
Riku peeled open an eye, wincing at the stress being placed on his wounded body,  
  
" Stop...being such... a baby! Now get in! It should take you straight to Traverse Town!"  
  
Tobi's eyes widened at Riku's words,  
  
" _'Should'_!?"  
  
Kae shook her head and shoved him inside,  
  
" Baka..."  
  
Riku smirked, stopping the girl before she climbed in,  
  
" Kae? Can I...ask you something?"  
  
She turned to him, raising an eyebrow,  
  
" What?"  
  
He cursed, the pain growing stronger,  
  
" What....what was your...father's name?"  
  
Kae straightened, frowning at him questionably,  
  
" His name? It was Sora. Why?"  
  
Riku's heart lurched and he gritted his teeth,  
  
" And...and your mother's?"  
  
She stepped closer to the portal, her gaze locked on the ground,  
  
" Kairi."  
  
Her sapphire eyes then searched his face, a deep frown etched on it,  
  
" Why? Why did you want to know?"  
  
Riku shook his head, his heartbreaking as the portal whirred in their ears,  
  
" No reason... just go."  
  
Hesitantly, she climbed in after Tobi and disappeared. Riku grunted. So, that's what had happened. Sora had made it home safely, afterall, and had managed to snag Kairi and pop out a kid... while he had been left to rot in Kingdom Hearts. He then smiled thoughtfully,  
  
_' At least I had her to get me through, though...'_  
  
Suddenly, he blinked and glanced around the chamber, remembering that the last person in their party hadn't gone through, yet,  
  
" Jack?"  
  
After a few moments of waiting for the missing Captain, Riku winced and raised the portal over his head. Eerie, dark tendrils spouted forth from the tiny abyss, wrapping around his arms as he lowered his head. In less than a second, more tendrils shot forth and wrapped around his entire body, sucking him up into it's dark depths...

* * *

" WHAT!?"  
  
Darien knelt down before Ansem, his arm respectively placed over his chest,  
  
" He escaped, my liege... the Keybearer has disappeared."  
  
" And what about Jack? Where is he?"  
  
The two glanced toward the doorway as 3 sneezes sounded across the room. Jack smiled, wiping his nose a bit,  
  
" Looks like someone's been talking about me, aye?"  
  
Darien growled and shot up from the floor, marching over to where Jack was,  
  
" Where's the Keybearer!?"  
  
Jack frowned, raising an eyebrow,  
  
" Wasn't he with you?"  
  
Darien wrapped a hand around the man's throat and began to squeeze tightly,  
  
" You were supposed to be watching him..."  
  
Jack tried to swallow, tapping his finger against his ''comrade's'' chest,  
  
" Actually, mate... that was your job--"  
  
Ansem clenched his fists, his anger now catching up to him,  
  
" I suppose if neither of you have seen him, I'll just be left to wonder then... WHERE THE

H%$# IS HE!?"

* * *

Hook cursed, mumbling to the air as he pried himself from a hole in his ship,  
  
" Curse, that Peter Pan! And that d$#ed _'Riku'_ boy, too... I should've pried me hook in him when I had the chance!"  
  
He shrieked, falling flat on his face into a glob of whale saliva,  
  
" AND BLAST D%$# THIS CURSED WHALE!!"  
  
A sudden squish snapped him to attention and he opened his eye to see someone's boot before him. Pushing himself off the ground, he slowly raised his head up to see the figure of a man he had long thought dead,  
  
" No....it can't be you. No, it can't be!"  
  
The man was tanned well, wearing an all black trenchcoat, shirt, pants, and fingerless gloves to boot. His eyes were a darkened sapphire, chesnut bangs hanging in over them as to shield them from the light. In his left hand was a black and red weapon...the weapon was in the shape of a key. He smirked madly at the captain, raising the blade high above his head.  
  
Hook shrieked, as the blade came down, fresh blood splattering all across the Jolly Roger's walls.  
  
** End Part One**

* * *

A/N: Hello! I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has read this story so far and to explain the sudden disappearance of this chapter. You see, what had happened was... a cat and a dog walked into a bar, right? And the cat said " Bark!"  
  
Okay, so thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story so far, I really appreciate the compliments and support (mainly, because I think all of my stories suck... but that's not the point here!). So, thank you:

**Catty Engles**

**Red Sonic**

**???**

**Black-Rose72**

**Byn**

**Cat of Darkness**

**kairi**

**Fallen angel of darkness**

**BlueFox of the Moon**

**Rurouni Saiyan** (awesome story, btw! Update soon!!)

**Mediciner**

**JillyBean3**

**Rei-chan** (where have u gone 2?)

**aliasfan** (and all 31 of your reviews. I love reading them, they make me smile!)

**HisLight**

**Infrared ray**

**Finding Faith**

Thanks everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope I got you all... oh well, I love reading them and I hope you enjoy my story as much as I love getting headaches writing it. (kidding)

Peace all!


	33. Chapter ThirtyTwo

**Part Two**

Chapter Thirty-Two

" Here, drink this."

Riku cringed, pulling away from the container,

" You're kidding, right?"

Barret growled, grabbing Riku by the hair and shoved the container into the man's mouth,

" DRINK IT!!"

Kae frowned, folding her arms as she watched Riku nearly choke on the purplish concoction,

" Oh, dear Lord....what the h$# is that stuff, anyway?"

This made the girl smirk. She loved to see Riku in pain...especially after what he did to her parents,

_' But....what if I was wrong? After all, Jane _did_ say that Riku went into a shock after Jack told him about my father... No! Riku is the one! He has to be.... Riku _is_ the one who killed my parents...'_

Riku stood, stretching his right arm out completely. No pain. He then tapped on his lower set of ribs. Again, no pain. Barret smirked,

" You like it, huh?"

" Which part, the taste or the after effects?"

Barret growled, smacking him over the head,

" The afta effects, you idiot!"

" Yeah, yeah, they're great."

" 'Great'!? Just 'great'!? They d$# cured every broken bone in yo' tiny $$ body and all you can say is, ' Yeah, they're great?' What the h$# is the matta' witch'you!?"

Riku frowned, wincing slightly,

" It could have tasted a little better..."

Barret's eyes widened and he clenched his fist tightly, storming out of the room,

" 'It coulda tasted better'. 'It coulda #$%ing tasted better'!!"

Kae followed Barret out into the hallway, smirking. Barret could be a bit overdramatic sometimes. She glanced back at Riku and gasped, frowning at what she was now seeing.

The man had a clamped a hand over his heart, clutching his shirt tightly as he took in awkward breaths. She could also see that a bit of sweat had formed on his face and she thought for a moment,

_' What's happening to him?'_

" Riku?"

His hand suddenly dropped and he turned his head her way as if nothing was wrong,

" Yeah?"

She shook her head, stepping out of the doorway,

" Nothing...nevermind."

Kae stood against the wall to the right of the door, listening carefully to find out what Riku was going to do next. After a few moments, she heard his footsteps and peeked around the corner to look inside the room. He was now standing at a dresser, seemingly looking himself in the mirror above it.

Then slowly, she watched as he opened the top drawer and shifted around inside it, easily retrieving a small pill capsule from inside. He easily opened up the small container and tapped the bottom, two tiny, white tablets dispensing into his hand. Kae frowned as he seemingly gazed at them with hesitance, then quickly popped them into his mouth and swallowed hard. He dropped the pills back into the drawer and shut it, slamming both hands down onto the top of the dresser as he took a deep breath.

Kae gasped as he turned and started for the door. She quickly darted out of sight and waited for him to exit the building before heading back into the open room. As soon as he'd gone, she tiptoed back inside and over to the drawers. Her hand shakily grabbed hold of the top drawer's handle and she opened it carefully. There were the pills, resting on one of Barret's clean, white shirts. She reached into the drawer and grabbed the pill bottle, carefully reading over the label,

" Ko...yi...ku."

She paused for a moment, her eyes widening in shock,

" Oh my gosh.... this is..."

She glanced up at the doorway, then back at the pill bottle,

" I've heard of this stuff before... this is the stuff that's supposed to send people on acid trips! Drug dealers back on the island would sell this stuff all the time to kids..."

She frowned, nearly shattering the bottle in her hand as her grip on it tightened,

" And Riku's using it."

Holding on to the bottle tightly, she stormed out of the hotel and after the man, eager to confront him about his choice of medicine...

* * *

Riku took in a deep breath and sighed, idly massaging his chest. It had been a long time since he'd had a spell like that. He deeply wished that it would be the last one he'd ever have, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. Groaning, he shoved his hands in his coat pockets and kicked at the cement,

" D$# Ansem... b$%#--"

" Riku!"

Riku straightened, turning slowly on his heel to see an angry Kae standing behind him. She narrowed her eyes at him, tossing a small object in his direction. He caught it with one hand, gazing at the tiny green blob in confusion. Kae folded her arms,

" Care to explain?"

Riku frowned, feeling it over a bit. It was his pill bottle,

" Where did you get this?"

" Don't try to change the subject on me, Ri-ku. I know exactly what those are."

" You...you do?"

She nodded,

" Drug dealers used to sell those all the time to little kids. My parents warned me about it constantly. Now, I see that you have it... so, explain."

Riku frowned at her, then smiled suddenly, chuckling. This only aggitated her,

" What's so funny?"

He shook his head,

" I'm sorry, I'm sorry... it's just that.... well.... the drugs you're talking about and the ones I have aren't the same. Not even close."

She raised an eyebrow at him,

" How so?"

Riku sighed, heading back toward the hotel to put the bottle back in the drawer,

" Well, back when I was a kid, word was going around of this new drug called 'Kiyoku' that all the kids were using to go on acid trips at raves and parties back on the island... The drugs that I have here is 'Koyiku'."

Kae's eyebrow twitched,

" And?"

Riku opened the drawer and placed the bottle down inside, then glanced up at her with a smile,

" A friend made these for me....they're for my heart."

Kae straightened, her eyes widened in embarrassment,

_' For...his heart? I didn't know....that Riku had a heart problem...'_

She clenched her fists tightly,

" I-I'm sorry. I didn't know--"

He smiled at her, shutting the drawer soundly,

" It's alright. Everyone's entitled to one mistake."

She lowered her head as he walked passed her and back out into the hall. How could she have been so stupid? Her eyes then widened as she fully processed what he had said,

_' "...word was going around of this new drug called 'Kiyoku' that all the kids were using to go on acid trips at raves and parties back on the island..." " What was your father's name? And your mother's?"'_

Quickly, she stepped out into the hall and called after him,

" How do you know my parents?"

* * *

" Hey, Barret?"

" Yeah, squirt?"

Tobi yawned, leaning back against the wall of a vacant house in the Third District,

" Why doesn't Riku like talking about his past?"

Barret coughed, carting some boxes out of the house,

" I dunno. Why don't you ask him?"

" Barret... I'm serious."

" Really? You? Who'd have thought....?"

" Barret! C'mon, tell me!"

Barret shook his head, heading toward the Second District,

" Sorry, squirt. It's not my place to tell ya."

Tobi followed him through the door to the Second District, pouting at him pitifully,

" Oh, c'mon, Barret! I won't tell him you said anything! Just tell me one thing, please! Just one little thing--"

" Awright, awright AWRIGHT!! Just quit yo' whinin', already. You givin' me a headache..."

Barret turned, shifting the box onto his shoulder. Tobi sat down on the cold cement, seemingly awaiting some kind of childhood story or something to spew from the man's mouth. Barret frowned,

" His last name is Shimui."

Tobi blinked, springing up as the one-armed man began to head off,

" Wait a second! I wanted to know something important!!"

" What? Are you saying his last name isn't important?"

" You know what I mean, Barret...."

* * *

" What?"

Kae frowned, glaring at the blindfolded man with determination,

" Before, back in the whale. You asked what my parents' names were. You seemed a little shocked when I told you, as well. Why?"

Riku remained silent. Kae shouted again, her voice crackling,

" TELL ME!!"

Again, he was silent. She was about to speak again, but paused as he turned away from her and headed for the exit. Now she'd had it....

* * *

Outside, Barret and Tobi jerked with surprise as a few midnight doves flew passed them in fright. A loud shot had startled the doves, the sound originating inside the Hotel.


	34. Chapter ThirtyThree

Chapter Thirty-Three

Riku stopped, his ears now ringing from Kae's gunblast. The girl held one of her pistols in both hands, a few strands of hair falling before her eyes as she took in short breaths,

" Now.... tell me."

Riku sighed, not wanting to lose his hearing a second time around,

" Your father was...an old friend."

He then headed for the door again, nearly jumping out of his skin as a distressed Tobi scrambled through the doorway,

" Riku! Kae!"

The boy halted, blinking wide-eyed as he glanced back and forth between them. He then frowned,

" What...what's goin' on here?"

Riku lowered his head, muttering to him softly,

" Nothing."

The man then quietly exited the Hotel. Tobi watched him walk away for a few moments, then turned back to Kae,

" What happened?"

She silently rehalstered her pistol and walked out into the night,

" What _he_ said."

Tobi was left alone in the dark hallway, the door swinging shut behind him after Kae left. He clenched his fists,

" Why..... why don't they tell me anything?"

Barret rushed up the steps to the Hotel, pausing as Riku quietly passed him,

" What happened, kid?"

Riku remained silent and headed on toward the Third District. Barret frowned, glancing up to see Kae also coming down the steps,

" What happen--"

" Nothing," she replied shortly,

" Now, quit asking."

Barret growled at this and turned, grabbing hold of her wrist,

" No. You tell me what just happened in there, now!"

Kae narrowed her eyes and yanked her arm from his grasp, continuing on her way,

" Why don't you just ask _Riku_!?"

She then stormed into the alley and disappeared. Barret clenched his fists and hurried the rest of the way up to the Hotel. Tobi stepped out just as he reached the top of the stairs. It looked as though the boy was angry,

" What happened, squirt?"

Tobi shook his head,

" They wouldn't say."

He then leapt over the stair railing and ran toward the Third District after Riku. Barret groaned, calling after the boy,

" Wait a minute!"

He then sighed and entered the Hotel,

" What's this? Aw, h%$# no... she put a hole in the wall!! She put a hole..."

* * *

Tobi hurried into the Third District, hiding behind a nearby wall as he watched Riku enter a strange building. The door was shaped like a shooting star that was heading upward and all around it were shorting, cylindrical, light tubes. Tobi stood up and rushed to the door, lightly running a hand over it before prying it open. The door slid open about an inch and he peeked inside. The room was dim and he could hear the distinct sound of glass smacking together. He heard a few laughs inside as well and with a quick sniff, he could smell the strong scent of beer. 

Tobi straightened, frowning,

_' A bar? What the h%$# is Riku doing in a bar?'_

" Hey, kid."

Tobi straightened, glancing back inside to see a tall, dark-haired man glaring at him. He gulped,

" Y-Yes?"

" You comin' in or what? Ya lettin' out all da cold air."

Tobi smiled, shoving the door open the rest of the way,

" Yeah! I'm coming in..."

As soon as he stepped inside, he could see that this place was, in fact, a bar. Dim, green lights hung from the ceiling, barely lighting the enormous room. He glanced to his left and saw a few guys playing pool, their women hanging all over them like dish rags.

The strong scent of cigarettes wafted over to his nose and he coughed, hurrying away from that spot. Why would Riku come to a place like this? He frowned, startled as a hand suddenly clasped onto his shoulder. His eyes bulged to see a girl staggering around from behind him. She giggled, her cheeks bright pink,

" Hey..."

He smiled nervously,

" H-hi..."

She then frowned,

" Are you.... like... a Heartloose er som'in'?"

His eye twitched and he shook his head glancing away from her,

" No, I'm..."

The music over head played softly as he spotted Riku sitting by the bar,

**/ We dared to ask for more/**

**/ But that was long before/**

Tobi pushed her hand away and quickly headed over to him, the girl screaming at him drunkenly,

" You....you blue-skinned...buttface...pansy %$$...crapmaggot....... Ooh, pretzels!"

She then staggered over to a man that vaguely looked like a young Cid and smiled,

" Hey..."

Tobi paused as soon as he reached Riku and took in a deep breath, then sat down beside him. He quietly motioned to the bartender for a drink. The bartender nodded and headed around to the otherside of the bar to get a glass.

" Aren't you a little young?"

Tobi turned to Riku, who was now smirking at him. Tobi shot him a glare,

" Aren't you a little old?"

Riku frowned at him, then lowered his head as the barkeep came back,

" Don't say I didn't warn you."

Tobi ignored him as he took the glass the barkeep had just filled and took a drink. He swallowed hard, coughing harshly. Riku smirked again, trying to hold back his laughter as the boy wiped his mouth off,

" Little strong, huh?"

Tobi coughed again, glaring at him spitefully,

" Shut up..."

Riku grinned as Tobi took another sip of his drink and cringed, snickering somemore,

" So, why'd you follow me?"

Tobi snorted, coughing a bit more as he finished the concoction and ordered another,

" Who said I was following you? Maybe I just like coming here..."

Riku raised an eyebrow at him,

" Kid, don't try me. I saw you trying to pry the door open back there... if you wanted in, there was a button release right on the door itself!"

Tobi licked his lips in embarrassment, glancing back toward the door,

" Oh..."

Riku smiled, shaking his head,

" So, again. Why'd you follow me?"

The boy sighed as the bartender filled his cup again, watching the foam build up on the top,

" I....I want to know... why are you always keeping things from me?"

The older man then frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Tobi cut him off before he could say anything,

" And don't just say, ' Because I can' or ' Trust me, you'll understand when you're older' or ' None of your buisness, now take out the trash'!! Riku, I'm serious... I really want to know. Why don't you ever talk to me?"

Riku lowered his head, keeping silent for a moment. Tobi glanced up at him, a slight frown on his face,

" Riku?"

" Because..."

" Because why!?"

" BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER THOSE THINGS, OKAY!?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow, rinsing a few dirty glasses in hot water. He was the only that seemed to be effected by the sudden shout, though... well, other than Tobi.

**/ Please understand This Isn't What We Meant.../**

Tobi straightened, startled by Riku's sudden outburst. Riku took in a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head,

" I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to yell like that."

Tobi nodded, remaining silent for a moment. Taking a sip of his own drink, Riku turned back to Tobi,

" So... what _do_ you know about me?"

" Your last name is Shimui."

" Who told you that?"

" Barret."

" That son of a b%$#..."

Tobi smiled, shaking his head as Riku continued to grumble.

* * *

Kae grumbled, kicking a few pebbles into the waterway. Why did Riku have to be so d%$# secretive all the time? 

_' " Your father was....an old friend."'_

She nearly screamed, picked up a small stone nearby and hurled it at the wall opposite her,

" D%$# HIM!! D%$# THAT DIRTY B%$%%# STRAIGHT TO H%$#!!!"

Pulling out her pistol, she then shot a hole in the wall and took in deep, breaths.

" Going a little ballistic, aren't we... Princess?"

She gasped, turning suddenly to see Darien standing there,

" You....you're the one that made that deal with Riku....about the rings..."

Darien mocked a shocked expression and gasped,

" I did!? Well, it seems you _are_ a smart one. Take after your father no doubt."

Kae narrowed her eyes at him threateningly,

" How do you know my father?"

Darien grinned at her,

" Me? Please, I know nothing more about him then the general public does. ' He fought valiantly and bravely against the Heartless. He succeeded in defeating Ansem at the age of only 14 and then travelled back to his homeland to live happily ever after...' Personally, I find those little parables about the man downright disgusting. There's enough yarn in those stories to sew a sweater..."

Kae growled lowly, Darien continuing on his rambling,

" But, there _is_ something I _do _know. Why, you should know it too, Princess. The story of your father's downfall? Maybe you've heard it, but...well, maybe not. ' The Keybearer than travelled back to his homeland and lived happily ever after, until one day he had a little girl. Then everything went downhill. He got weaker because he no longer trained. Instead, he and his happy little family were always picnicking in the park, day after day after day. The Heartless knew this and decided that it was the perfect time to exact their revenge on the happy, little Keybearer. They travelled to the Keybearer's home, where they joyously brought an end to his happy, little life. They then had a great feast upon the other souls of the island, including the Keybearer's wife, his friends, and his friends' pathetic little son...' you remember him, don't you, Princess? The one who sacrificed himself to save you? You remember... his name was--"

Kae gritted her teeth, her fists clenching tightly around her gun grips,

" Aki... He was two years older than I was.... and you...you and your stupid clan KILLED HIM!! ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE I'VE EVER LOVED!!"

She closed her eyes tightly, soon seeing the images of a blonde-haired boy with bright green eyes, his parents, Selphie and Tidus, her parents, her grandmother, his grandfather, she saw them all... and she witnessed their deaths a second time around in only a few seconds....

* * *

" Say, Riku?" 

Riku turned to Tobi, who had downed about four or five drinks by now,

" Yeah, kid?"

Tobi took in a deep breath, smiling a bit sadly,

" When you found me...y'know, as a baby... my mother, what did she look like?"

Riku straightened, then lowered his head. The image of a young woman in a white cloak entered his thoughts, her raven hair tumbling over her face....

**__**

_

* * *

_

_She was lying in the grass, her back turned to him. He'd thought he'd heard the sound of a baby crying, but it had stopped. He fell to his knees and placed a shaky hand on her arm, surprised when he heard a strange coo coming from within a bundle of black sheets. Blood stained the ground around her body, leaking from her back. A small, blue object with huge golden eyes peered up at him, cooing again as he lightly touched it's face..._

****

* * *

Riku smiled sadly, thinking back on the moment, 

" She was beautiful, kid... you look just like her, last I saw."

Riku waited a moment for Tobi's response, then glanced over to see him smiling strangely at him,

" What?"

Tobi laughed, shaking his head,

" Nothing.....it'sjust... Ijustnoticedthatyougot really paleskin."

He then raised a finger and absentmindedly poked Riku's cheek with his index finger. Riku lowered his head as Tobi laughed and nodded as the boy repeatedly poked him in the cheek.

* * *

Kae let out a scream of rage and raised her pistol, firing it off as soon as her eyes opened. The bullet whizzed past his face, breaking off a few strands of chesnut hair. She gasped, her eyes widening at who was now standing there, staring back at her. 

Piercing sapphire eyes glowed softly through brunette bangs, peeking through at the young girl. Her eyes began welling with tears as his familiar crown pendant glittered with the water's reflection. He looked a bit odd in his dark, leathery get-up, but she didn't care. Taking in a deep, wavering breath, she gazed at him in disbelief as tears began to fall from her eyes,

" D-Daddy?"

A sharp pain suddenly shattered her thoughts and she fell forward, unconscious. Darien smirked, removing his hands from the back of the girl's neck,

" You did a good job of distracting her, Keybearer... I applaud you. You've made this job a h%$# of a lot easier."

He glared silently at Darien as the boy knelt down and slung Kae over his shoulder. His eye twitched a bit... he didn't trust that boy at all, especially not with her...

* * *

" I think you've had enough, kid." 

Riku said as he pushed the boy's hand away,

" It's time to go."

Tobi pouted, his cheeks now a little purple in colour,

" Oh, c'mon, Riku! Jus'onemore--"

Riku smirked as he grabbed Tobi by the arm and pulled him up,

" No, no, no... I think the cut off mark is when your words start to slur like that."

" Mywordsaren't....slurringtoge..ther."

Shaking his head, Riku slung the boy's arm around his neck and lead him back to the Second District.

Tobi groaned, pulling away from the blind one,

" No, no...Let go. I don't...needanyhelp. I'm jes' fine!"

He flung his arms out to the side and staggered backward, falling on his tail. Riku shook his head and walked back over to him, holding out a hand,

" Here, lemme help you up--"

Tobi folded his arms, shaking his head wildly,

" No! I can... pickmyself up off the ground! I can do anythingIwan' to cause I'm a bigkid now and I don't need help from any..body!"

He pushed himself over and staggered a bit as he stood, swaying as he walked toward the Hotel,

" I caneven fight on my own, which by the way, I'm very...pissssssed at you right now, Ree Koo."

Riku folded his arms as the boy turned around,

" Oh really? What for?"

" Because you," Tobi pointed a wobbly finger at him,

" You never let me.....fight...when there's anythingbiggoing on. It's always youand_Kae_, or youand_Barret_, or youand_TIFA_! Never youand_Tobi_! No, I'm alwaysleftat home... EversinceIwas...little. You've alwaysheld me back."

Riku sighed, shrugging,

" It was for your own good--"

" But itwasn't fair, Riku, that'swhat I'm gettingat."

Shaking his head, Riku frowned,

" Tobi, I don't know if this is you or the booze talking, so let's get you back to the Hotel and clean you up, okay--?"

Tobi shook his head, staggering toward the alley,

" No...no, Riku, it'snot okay! I...Iwanna fight, too. Ilook upto you, y'know. I don'tknow if yourealize that, though. Actually, I-I thinkyoujus' don't care!"

Riku sighed, shaking his head as the boy stumbled through the Alleyway doors,

" Kid..."

Tobi coughed, feeling a bit nauseated as he staggered toward the Waterway. Leaning back against the wall, he soon heard someone talking,

" You did a good job of distracting her, Keybearer... I applaud you. You've made this a h%$# of a lot easier."

He glanced up to see two men standing there. The one closest to him had his back turned and was wearing a lengthy, black trenchcoat. Black, fingerless gloves adorned each of his hands and he had a head of chaotic, spiky, brown hair.

The other man had shorter, jet black hair and icey blue eyes. He was the one doing the talking, Tobi was sure of that. The guy also wore the same coat that the Nobody wore, except his was missing it's hood. There was also someone lying unconscious in his arms, a female, it seemed. Tobi gasped, immediately sober,

" Kae!"

The one holding Kae straightened and hoisted the girl over his shoulder. He then motioned to his partner,

" Get rid of him."

The one with the spiky hair turned to face him, his dark eyes piercing Tobi's heart. This guy would be a bit difficult to beat, that was for sure. The man behind him smirked, Kae now dangling lifelessly on his arm,

" You won't want this fight, kid. He's the Keybearer."

Tobi smirked, charging at them full speed,

" Sorry to burst your bubble, pal... but the Keybearer's been dead for fourteen years!!"

Tobi raised a fist at the spiky-haired one, shocked when a black and red weapon soon materialized in his opponent's hand. Quickly, he disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke and reappeared behind the man, rushing after Kae's captour,

" Kae!!"

He ducked seconds later, the spiky-haired one's weapon swiping for his head. Instead, it slammed into a drainpipe, causing the man to narrow his eyes and snarl. Tobi again disappeared, darting behind a large barrel as the man glanced around for him. This made the boy grin and he snickered,

" He won't know what hit him..."

Tobi again disappeared, unaware that the man knew of his little plan. The spiky-haired one grinned, his sapphire eyes flashing for an instant in gold. Tobi reappeared seconds later, his claws raised to dig into the man's neck. In the blink of an eye, Tobi found himself gazing into the man's darkened blue eyes, his body consumed in pain.

His mouth fell open and he tried to speak, but nothing came out except a grunted stutter. The man smirked at him, twisting the blade so that it pierced through the boy's lungs completely. Thunder boomed overhead, a flicker of lightning shining in Tobi's widened eyes. He could feel the man's blade exiting his back...

* * *

Riku sighed, shaking his head as he leaned back against the wall, remembering what the boy had said to him,

_' " Never you and Tobi! I look up to you, y'know. You just don't care..."'_

Leaning his head back, Riku absently played with his gloved, left, ring finger and shook his head again, entering the Alleyway,

" Hey, kid... listen I--"

Riku gasped at what he ''saw''. He could see the flickering, blue, silhouette of Tobi, hanging off the edge of a bright red blade.

Tobi's attacker pushed the boy off his weapon and Riku scrambled down the walk, nearly tripping on his own two feet,

" TOBI!!"

He caught the boy in his arms, Tobi grunting in pain as he lowered him to the ground,

" Tobi..."

The boy coughed, a small bit of blood developing on his lips,

" I....really screwed up.....didn't I?"

He struggled to speak, his eyes threatening to close.

Riku glanced down, the boy's heart a fading blue. It pulsed slowly and he placed a hand on Tobi's cheek, shaking his head,

" No...no, you did just fine. Listen to me, kid...you're gonna be alright."

Tobi winced, coughing up more blood,

" Pr...Promise?"

Riku nodded, offering him a silent smile. The boy flashed him his toothy grin one last time, his body slowly falling limp in Riku's arms. Riku heard the boy's raspy exhale, then nothing.... he went silent. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a timely rainfall beginning to pour.

* * *

**A/N: I was listening to Breaking Benjamin's " So Cold" while I did this. It really fits!**


	35. Chapter ThirtyFour

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four

" Kid!? KID!!"

Riku bit his lip and pulled Tobi closer to him, cradling his head tightly,

" D%$$#t...."

Thunder rolled again and he whimpered, running his hand through the boy's soft hair. He then angrily raised his head to face the boy's killer, thoroughly shocked to see who was standing there,

" It...it can't be..."

Lightning flashed overhead, a white flash lighting the man's crimson silhouette. He recognized the figure perfectly, but he couldn't believe it,

" S-Sora?"

Sora remained silent, shooting him an unfriendly glare. Riku gritted his teeth, lowering his head,

" Why....WHY!? HE WAS JUST A BOY, D$$#!! _HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?_"

Again, Sora was silent. Another rumble of thunder and he turned, walking away from the grieving man. Riku remained at Tobi's side, unable to move...hardly able to think,

" How could you do this.....? How could you...?"

A large mass of red appeared before Sora and the man disappeared through it, leaving him completely alone in the cold rain. Riku shut his eyes tightly, his soaking blindfold scrunching up as he lowered his head, sobbing. His grip tightened on the boy's lifeless body as he rocked back and forth, somehow trying to ease the pain. Blood streaked down his cloak, a puddle of the crimson liquid forming beneathe Tobi and running through the cracks in the sidewalk toward the waterway.

The doors to the Alleyway burst open quickly, Barret running toward them in quite a hurry,

" Kid, I heard screamin'. What the h$#'s goin'.......? Oh no..."

Riku continued to rock back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably as Barret placed his only hand on the man's shoulder,

" Riku... I--"

Riku pulled away from the man instantly, his head lowered in grief,

" DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

Barret shook his head, holding in his own tears as he stepped back. Riku gulped, pulling off his blindfold,

" Don't touch me..."

He then straightened himself up a bit and shakily ran his hand over Tobi's face. His hand soon reached Tobi's chest area and he felt around the wound, holding back another onslaught of tears as he laid his palm over it. Barret frowned, refusing to remain silent as an eerie green halo soon appeared around Riku,

" Kid, what're you..."

Riku tilted his head back so that the rain streaked down his face and he took in a deep breath, his eyes closed lightly in concentration. Darkness soon began to pour from his hand and into the wound, racing in circles throughout Tobi's body. It wasn't doing much at first, but slowly it began to form a sort of, plug, in Tobi's chest...a plug of dark energy. Riku grunted, his heart beginning to throb rapidly against his ribs. He didn't know how much more of this he could take, but he'd do anything he could to...

Barret clenched his fist tightly, stepping a bit closer,

" Riku...Riku, stop this right now, you hear me? You gonna get yo'self killed."

Riku remained silent, pouring even more energy into Tobi's body as a response to Barret's protests. Barret cursed, squinting a few tears from his eyes as he tried a bit harder to make Riku reconsider,

" Kid, this ain't no game!! Look, I know how you must be feelin' right now! I felt the same way when I lost Marlene... but Tifa, you remember her, right? She said that it was gon' be alright and it _was_, kid! It _was_! Killin' yo'self is NOT the answer okay? So, just stop this now..."

Again, Riku ignored him and winced in pain, the dark energy threatening to take him. He silently prayed that what he was trying to do was working and as if on cue, his prayers were answered. The hole in Tobi's chest sealed up, regenerating the boy's skin in a lighter colour. Riku laxed a bit, but continued to feed him energy, Barret now pleading with him to stop,

" Kid, c'mon now! That's enough... you gotta stop it, please..."

Riku felt the life beginning to drain from him, but he wouldn't quit. Not now, not when he was so close....

Barret glanced back and forth between him and Tobi's body, his eyes widening as the boy suddenly took in a breath. Riku grunted, completely exhausted as he collapsed on the boy's chest. Barret's eye widened and he rushed to the man's side, placing his only hand on his back,

" Riku!"

Riku panted strenuously, unable to lift his head,

" It's....alright, marshmallow.... I'm fine..."

Barret frowned nervously, deep concern shining his eyes,

" D%$##t, kid... you tryin' to give me a heartattack?"

Riku was silent, causing a lump to form in Barret's throat,

" Riku? Riku!?"

He then heard Riku chuckle softly,

" You worry too much...."

Riku slowly pushed himself up, turning to Barret with a weak smile. He then glanced back down at Tobi,

" Take him...get him back to the Hotel..."

Barret nodded, frowning,

" And just where do you think you're gonna go?"

Riku swallowed harshly, glancing in the direction Sora had gone,

" I'm going after him... I'm going after S--"

" THE H%$# YOU IS!! YOU COMIN' WITH ME!!"

* * *

" Is this her?" 

Darien nodded, his master referring to the girl lying unconscious on the table,

" Yes, sir... she's the one."

" Ooh, you won't want to tango with her when she wakes up, mate."

Darien turned to see Jack standing in the doorway. Jack smirked, stepping inside behind him,

" She's a fiesty one, that girl. Bite your hand off soon as she'll get the chance."

Darien snorted, turning his gaze back on the sleeping girl,

" Please... I'm willing to lose a few fingers. And Jack? Weren't you the one who was supposed to nab her in the first place? That's why we sent you to Neverland, not so you could take a vacation."

Jack raised an eyebrow,

" Vacation? D'you hones'ly think that bein' held on some grimy, no-good, Captain's ship, who, by the way, blubbers and whines like a complete idiot, is what I like to call... a vacation? And, not to toot me own horn, but I believe it was me who brought your precious Keybearer back here.... which also reminds me. Weren't _you_ supposed to be watching him at the time of his disappearence? So, how was it...that he managed to end up in the bowels of a f#$ing whale? Looks like you didn't live up to your promise either, mate."

Darien snarled. He opened his mouth to retort, but Ansem cut him off by a second,

" That's enough, both of you. We've got more important things to tend to. For instance.... have either of you decided who's going to nab the next ring for me?"

Darien smirked, glancing over at Jack,

" I think _I_ should be the one to do it, Master. Afterall....we don't want this _drunken _Captain to botch up anymore of our plans, do we?"

Jack sneered at him, then turned to Ansem,

" Ah, but I think _I _should be the one to do it. We can't entrust this to a little boy, can we, Annsy?"

Ansem cringed, massaging his temples sorely,

" Never, call me that again, Jack. Or it'll be your head."

Jack gulped, nodding,

" Fair enough..."

" I'll do it."

The three glanced toward the doorway to see a raven-haired woman entering the room. She slowly batted her emerald eyes and smiled,

" After all....it'd be quite a shock for him to see me again, right?"

Ansem smirked as the woman came toward him and softly started to chuckle....

* * *

" Is he okay, Barret?" 

Barret folded his arms and frowned, glaring at Riku instead of the boy,

" Sure, probably after what you did. The question I'm concerned with is: are _you_ okay after that?"

Riku shrugged weakily,

" I guess...just a little drained, is all."

Barret snorted, glancing out the window,

" Who the h$# would've done this to a kid like him...?"

Clenching his fists tightly around his knees, Riku took in a deep breath,

" Barret... I think there's something you should know."

Barret frowned, focusing his gaze back on Riku,

" What is it, kid?"

Riku lowered his head, hesitant to tell him who did it,

" The one who did this..... I-I saw him--"

" Then who the h%$# was it!? If it was that guy that tried to slice you before, I swear I'm gonna--"

" It was Sora, Barret.... Sora's alive."

* * *

He stepped into the now-empty room, the unconscious Kae catching his eyes first. Slowly padding over to her, he knelt down and placed a hand on her cheek. A string of feelings arose in him, feeling that he couldn't explain. There was something about this girl that made him feel differently about things...like he had a responsibility to protect her at all cost. This confused him. Why would he feel this way about a girl he didn't even know?

* * *

" But...you told me as soon as ya'll got back... that both Sora and Kairi were killed a long time ago--" 

Riku shook his head,

" I know, I did, Barret.... I don't get it, either. Ansem must've done something... just like what he did with Aladdin."

Barret raised an eyebrow,

" Aladdin?"

Nodding, Riku recounted what had happened back in Agrabah,

" Aladdin was at one time the sultan of a world called Agrabah, but he was killed 12 years ago by a pair of Unknowns. Both his children told us this after we ran into them. Then, out of the blue....Aladdin came strolling back into the picture one night. It turned out that Ansem had brought him back to life to capture the ring from his daughter's heart. I....I killed him after he'd taken it, but his partner still escaped with the ring."

Barret nodded,

" And you think Sora's got something to do with all this?"

Riku nodded,

" I'm sure of it... but... I don't know why--"

His eyes suddenly widened in realization and he grunted,

_' " Have you brought the Heart of the Princess?"'_

Riku quickly turned to Barret, frowning,

" Where's Kae?"

* * *

A/N: Hee hee hee! You thought I killed him, didn't you? Nope! I could never kill Tobi, he's my baby!! I won't kill him, I swear...( croses fingers behind back) Mwahahahahaha!!! 


	36. Chapter ThirtyFive

Chapter Thirty-Five

" Where's Kae?"

Tobi groaned softly and slowly opened his eyes, glancing around the room,

_' What happened?'_

The image of Kae being dragged away sudden flashed in his mind and he gasped, shooting up into a sitting position,

" Kae!!"

Both Barret and Riku jumped, turning to see the boy panting heavily and sweating. Tobi's eyes were wide in concern and he turned to Barret,

" Kae!! The Unknowns...they......I have to find her!"

He jumped up out of bed and rushed outside, Barret rushing after him as Riku was too weak to get up at the moment. Tobi rushed into the alleyway and glanced around frantically,

" Kae!? Kae!!"

Barret ran up behind him and grabbed him by the shoulder,

" Squirt, c'mon now... you gotta get back inside--"

Tobi brushed his hand away and headed for the Waterway,

" Not until I find her..."

Barret shook his head, again grabbing hold of the boy's shoulder,

" Squirt, she's not here! You're not gonna find her like this--"

" Well, I have to try, Barret!"

Barret was taken aback as the boy spun around, his eyes mirroring glass. Tobi gulped, running a hand through his hair as he started back down toward the Waterway,

" I have to try..."

" Did I hear say that you were looking for something?"

Both turned to see Cid standing there, smiling. He took his cigarette and flicked it into the water, folding his arms,

" Maybe I can help ya out...."

* * *

Cid laid a map of the universe out on a table in his shop and poked his finger on Traverse Town,

" Now look. This is us. I'd say that if those %#$%ers really did take your girlfriend then they took her to this $#%thole right here."

He pointed to a big black hole just beyond the Coliseum. Tobi frowned at Cid, muttering in a low volume,

" She's not my girlfriend..."

Riku nodded, poking at the darkball,

" I know what that is. But you can't get there unless you're strong enough to go through a dark portal..."

Tobi smiled, glancing up at him,

" Then let's go! It shouldn't be a problem with you poppin' those things out, one by one!"

Riku shook his head,

" It's not that simple, kid. I'd have to be ten-thousand times stronger than I am now to be able to get through there alone. With you with me....that's a whole different story--"

Cid smacked Tobi in the head, a few of his cigarette ashes falling on the table,

" And anyways, you dumb$#%t, the worlds have shifted over the years. This map is nearly 25 years old!"

Tobi growled, both hands clamped to the back of his head as he glared up at Cid,

" Then why the h%$# do you still have it!?"

Cid smacked him again,

" Because, you dumb%$$!! It's the only clue to the universe we got left! If ya'll hadn't kindly destroyed my Highwind, then we'd be lookin' at a brand %#$#ing new map, right now!!"

Riku coughed, taking in a deep breath,

" Cid.... I think I may know how to get inside..."

* * *

" Excalibur!?"

Riku smirked as the three of them stood by a brilliant Gummi Ship. It gleamed blacks and blues, lined with silver on either side of the doors, and inside were black leather seats and a satellite radio. Cid sniffled,

" Not this one...she's my baby!"

Riku shook his head,

" I'm sorry, Cid. But Excalibur's the only one with the ability to amplify magic! Unless of course, you'd rather me take Marijuana over there..."

The small group glanced over at another ship. This one was smaller and boasted a tan paint job. Huge marijuana leaves had been decaled on both of the doors and the interior had seats lined in hemp cord. Tobi cracked a smile, trying his hardest not to laugh,

" Yeah, that's what we'll do.... get'em stoned."

Cid frowned, choosing to ignore the boy's comment as he pulled the keys to Excalibur out of his pocket,

" Promise she won't get scratched?"

Riku held out a hand to take them,

" Put my life on it."

Cid took in a breath and began to lower them into the man's hand, then took them back,

" A dent?"

" I swear it."

" Burned?"

" Cid..."

" What if she explodes?"

Riku growled, clenching his free fist tightly,

" CID, JUST GIVE ME THE D$# KEYS!!"

" Alright, alright! Hold your #$%ing horses!"

* * *

Tobi sighed, leaning back as the ship cruised on out into space,

" Finally! I thought Cid was never gonna let us outta there!"

Riku smirked,

" Yeah, me neither. ' What if she explodes?' Well, then. I guess you won't have a ship anymore, Cid. What can I say?"

Tobi smiled, shaking his head slowly. He then glanced out the window with a slight frown,

" Look, Riku... I'm sorry about what I said back there... you know? When I was drunk--"

Riku shook his head, sighing,

" Don't worry about it. But... you know what?"

Tobi raised an eyebrow in question and turned his gaze to Riku,

" What?"

The older man smiled,

" Look's like it's just you and me this time, kid."

He then glanced over at Tobi, who he was sure was beaming at this, and smiled. Tobi, who was, infact, beaming, turned his gaze back out to space. Riku then sighed, leaning back a bit in his seat. It was a real shame that he couldn't see anything more than blue, red, green, or gold silhouettes... he would really have loved to see Tobi's expression just then. He frowned a little. In fact, he had no idea just what the boy looked like. Tobi had described himself to him once or twice before, but it just wasn't the same of actually seeing the boy for himself.

Thinking back on it, the last thing he'd ever seen was the image of Tobi as a baby, and back _then_ it hadn't even been all _that_ clear to him. He mentally shook his head and frowned further. This wasn't the time to be thinking of his lost sight. He had a job to do.... both he _and_ Tobi had a job to do. They had to save Kae from whatever hold she was being held in...in the Heart of Darkness.

_

* * *

_

_She groaned audibly, slowly opening her eyes to find herself in a vast space of darkness. She made to stand up, but upon finding all of her clothes to be missing, she decided against it and simply sat up instead, curling into a ball. Frowning, she took in a deep breath and called out to anyone who might be listening,_

_" Hello?"_

_Narrowing her eyes, she puffed a string of her bangs from her face and frowned,_

_" Does anyone know what happened to my clothes?"_

_Her voice was the only thing that echoed back to her and she growled,_

_" This is really starting to get on my nerves..."_

_She glanced all around her to make sure no one was looking and stood, quickly taking her hair down to cover her chest. Her hair inched down to her waist and she sighed, beginning to walk,_

_" It'll just have to do, I guess. I don't think anyone's here, anyway..."_

* * *

Darien smirked, sitting next to the sleeping form of Kae lying on the platform. She was surrounded by a barrier of darkness so that when the dreams started, she wouldn't be able to escape. Not that she'd want to, anyway. Her dreams, he'd made sure, would be pleasant ones. So pleasant, in fact, that he was most sure she'd choose them over reality.

_' And once this happens, she will be completely oblivious to the darkness growing within her...'_


	37. Chapter ThirtySix

Chapter Thirty-Six

Tobi glanced over at Riku as the ship came upon the black hole Cid had shown them on the map. The old fart had been right, the worlds had, infact, shifted, and instead of them having passed the Coliseum on their way, they passed a strange-looking world submersed in water. He then gulped,

" So, you gonna do that weird-thingy you do, now?"

Riku snorted,

" Do you know how wrong that just sounded? But yes. I'm gonna do that ' weird-thingy' now."

Taking in a deep breath, Riku grabbed hold of the guiders and steered the ship slowly toward the portal, entrapping the entire vessel in darkness. Excalibur took Riku's small source of energy and amplified it a hundred-fold, making it a lot easier for them to arrive safely. Where they'd arrived, he wasn't sure. It looked to be some strange mansion in the middle of nowhere...

_

* * *

_

_Kae frowned, glancing through the inky blackness around her. This had to be a dream or something. Honestly, why would she be walking around in the middle of an endless vortex wearing absolutely nothing? She couldn't remember at all how she'd gotten there or what had happened to her before she woke up. Frowning, she called out the only name she could think of,_

_" Tobi!"_

_Why she had called for him, she had no idea. She did know, however, that she was beginning to feel a draft..._

_" Kae?"_

_She paused, suddenly finding herself back on the island and dressed. She also found that she was a twelve-year-old._

_" Kae?" _

_The voice called out again and hesitantly, she turned to find a shaggy blonde-haired boy staring at her in confusion. He was wearing a pair of dusty jeans, an olive hoodie, and a pair of black Vans. His eyes shone bright green and his skin was nicely tanned, just like his father's._

_Kae placed a hand on her heart, startled to find that her chest was flat again, and that her hair was cropped and poked out at the bottom. She wore an red-orange, midriff top that zipped up the front and a pair of black, flare jeans. Her boots had been replaced by a pair of tan Vans and she frowned, unable to believe this all was real,_

_" Aki?"_

_The 14-year-old boy smirked, shrugging,_

_" For a minute... I thought you'd forgotten my name."_

_This made her smile and she bolted to him as fast as she could, her tears splattering the ground,_

_" AKI!!" _

* * *

Tobi raised an eyebrow as the ship landed and he hopped out of the Gummi, looking over the mansion with a whistle,

" Who do you think lives here?"

Riku frowned, starting toward the front door,

" The enemy... so stay on guard."

Tobi frowned, clenching his fists,

" Party pooper..."

" Besides, kid... I thought you were here to save Kae, not to go sight-seeing."

The boy straightened as Riku turned to him and nodded,

" I am!"

Riku frowned,

" Then quit admiring this he$#hole and start lookin'! I'll meet you back at the ship, alright?"

Tobi blinked, calling after Riku as he ran off,

" But....where are you gonna go!?"

Riku lowered his head, answering in a low voice,

" I've got someone else to take care of..."

* * *

A pair of sapphire eyes glared down at the pair as they ran inside the building. He smirked. It wouldn't be long after all, then...

_

* * *

_

_"AKI!!"_

_Kae leapt into the boy's arms and squeezed him tightly, tears flowing freely from her eyes. Aki raised an eyebrow at her,_

_" Kae? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"_

_Kae sniffled and glanced up with glassy, sapphire eyes,_

_" It's just....I thought I'd never see you again..."_

_Aki chuckled at this, ruffling the young girl's hair a bit as he took her hand and lead her toward town,_

_" I think you should go home now, K. You must've gotten sunstroke or something."_

_Kae frowned as he continued,_

_" I mean, we just saw each other at school a few hours ago..."_

_She stopped, pulling her hand away from his,_

_" What? What're you talking about? Aki, we never had the chance to go to school! The Heartless attacked the island remember? Your mom--"_

_Aki raised an eyebrow, rushing over to her and placing a hand on her head,_

_" You must be gettin' sicker. I think I should carry you..."_

_The boy then hoisted her onto his back and she screamed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. This made him laugh,_

_" Oh, sorry! Forgot you didn't like people picking you up."_

_Kae frowned, resting her chin in his soft hair,_

_" Aki, what's going on?"_

_Aki frowned, glancing up at her from the corner of his eye,_

_" What do you mean?"_

_Shifting her mouth a bit, she sighed,_

_" I mean, why do you keep saying that we went to school when we didn't?"_

_" Well, because we did."_

_" I suppose next you're gonna say that my parents are still alive, as well."_

_Aki laughed at her quick retort and shook his head,_

_" Where are you getting this stuff, K? Since when were your parents ever dead?"_

* * *

Tobi groaned, glancing in all directions as he entered the next dark hallway. He felt as though he were going in circles and he pouted, shoving his hands in his pockets and kicking at imaginary dirt,

" Man... I should've stayed with Riku... huh?"

He glanced up to see that a small legion of Heartless had arrived and were now twitching before him. Smirking wildly, he crouched down low and laughed,

" It's been awhile..."

He then disappated into a cloud of blue smoke, occasionally reappearing amoung their ranks as he tore them to shreds with his claw-like nails.

* * *

Riku glanced around, his staff ready at his side. He wasn't sure what to expect in a place like this, but he knew whatever decided to come crawling out of the shadows _wouldn't_ be friendly in nature. The sound of his boots softly tapping across the marble floor echoed back to him without delay. He could hear his cloak lightly flapping as he briskly headed down the hollow hallway and he turned left, halting at the head of the passage.

Frowning, he felt the air around him chill and he tensed, dozens of warped, red blobs accumulating before him. Riku smirked, a sardonic tone lacing his voice,

" Nice to see a friendly face, again..."

" I'm sure it is....Riku."

He froze, his breath catching in his throat as the clack of heels sounded from the shadows,

_' That voice...'_

A bloody, crimson silhouette emerged from the darkness, the Heartless contiguously parting for 'them'. Riku gaped in disbelief, struggling to form words,

" H-Hi-Hikari?"

_

* * *

_

_Kae straightened, clamping both hands firmly on his shoulders,_

_" My parents are alive?"_

_Aki shot her an incredoulous stare from the corner of his eye,_

_" Well, I'd hope so! If not, then just who the he$# have you been living with all twelve years of your life, huh?"_

_At this, she immediately leapt off him and rushed on down the road, her heart pounding madly in her chest. _

_If she remembered right, her house was just a few blocks away. She could hear Aki calling after her, but she ignored him. She had to get home....she had to know. Her feet took her through countless 'Don't Walk' lights and she was nearly hit by cursing drivers possibly 6 times. She passed by a vacant field of tall grass, rushed through a blocked off railroad track, hurried past a couple stupified tourists, through a busy intersection, passed by a restaurant called 'Grandma Emery's', through another vacant field and stopped, gasping for air,_

_" Guess....it's farther....than I thought..."_

_Finally, she came upon a very familiar lamp post. A strange looking owl sat atop it and she smiled, speeding down the road as fast as she could go. Her heart raced violently. She supposed that if it had feet of it's own and was set down on the ground, it would most likely beat her there by a whole 2 minutes. Turning right at the corner up ahead, she followed the road for a short while, the sea breeze rustling her short locks as she ran._

_The road lead her to a string of houses that were highly recognizable and she sped faster, rushing up the steps of a tan and red painted house smack in the middle of them. Throwing open the door she bolted inside and glanced about the living space. She stood there for a moment, huffing uncontrollably as a bead of sweat slid down her face. Glancing to her right, she saw that the couch she'd hidden behind during the first attack was still in it's original spot. It wasn't bloody or torn, either and she spun around. There were the stairs that her mother helped her father up when he was injured. She could just see their ghosts as she gazed at it and she shivered, crying out frantically to make them go away,_

_" Mommy!? Daddy!?"_

_After a short time with no response, she raced after the ghosts, nearly hyperventilating as she screamed out again,_

_" Mommy!?"_

_Upon nearing the head of the stairs, she jumped, startled as two people came rushing out of her parent's room to the right. Both seemed panicked and a little sweaty as they clambered into the hall, the man standing there, shirtless. He frowned, his sapphire eyes gleaming with concern,_

_" Kae? What--"_

_Tears streamed freely down the girl's cheeks and she covered her mouth, crying out as she hopped the last few steps and ran to him at full speed,_

_" DADDY!!"_


	38. Chapter ThirtySeven

A/N: I'm gonna be putting up a lot of these chapters before the hurricane hits, so a lot of updates will be going on. And I'll _try_ not to die.... if you all say so.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Tobi sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow as he leaned back against the wall,

" Phew...glad _that's_ over! Now, to find Kae..."

He hurried on down the hall, his ''holy'' tail, now brandishing an array of scratches and claw marks, swishing anxiously behind him. Reaching a cross section farther down the hall, he frowned, glancing about in confusion,

" Man, this place is like a labyrinth!"

His voice echoed down the hall and he gulped, hearing the click of a pistol behind him,

" Then, I suggest that you leave now.... before things start to get _really_ ugly."

* * *

Riku gasped as she stepped right up to him, stuttering as he gazed at her silhouette,

" Hikari.... but how.... why...?"

Placing a finger tip to his lips, she giggled, smiling slightly,

" Shhh....don't speak."

He nearly dropped his staff as she pulled him close and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. Riku felt his eyes flutter close behind his blindfold as the kiss deepened. He wanted to believe it, that she was there...he truly did. She smiled, her tongue thrashing widly in his mouth as she slowly ran her hands down his chest. A giggle escaped her as she felt him shiver and she ran her left hand back up behind his neck, drawing him closer.

Deepening the kiss intensely, she smirked as she heard his staff clatter to the floor and he wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly, she tightened her grip on his neck and jabbed him in the gut with her right hand, smirking as he pulled away and let out a yelp. She stepped back with a grin as he swayed a little, clutching his middle tightly,

" W-Why?"

Hikari wiped off her lips and tossed a hidden switch-blade to the side as he coughed up a bit of blood,

" You let your guard down."

Then pulling out a katana from the folds of her cloak, she smiled wickedly, charging at him with a satisfied giggle...

_

* * *

_

_" DADDY!!"_

_Her father kneeled down, grunting softly as he caught the tearful girl in his arms,_

_" Whoa! Kae, what happened? What's wrong?"_

_Kae squeezed her father tightly, mumbling as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably,_

_" Don't ever leave me again, Daddy. Promise me you won't go away again...please..."_

_He frowned and comfortingly ran his hand through the girl's hair, glancing back at his wife silently. She was just as confused as he was. Turning back to the shuddering Kae, he pushed her back so that he could see her face. Her eyes were red with tears, tears that continued to fall, and he cupped her cheek, wiping those tears away with his thumb,_

_" What's the matter, Angel? You feelin' okay, huh?"_

_Kae sniffled, nodding as he placed his hand back on her shoulders and she rubbed her eyes free of tears,_

_" I am now..."_

* * *

Tobi raised both of his hands and turned slowly, closing his eyes as his attacker pressed the nozzle to his neck. The voice spoke again,

" Open yer eyes, boy. No sense in shootin' you if I can't even see the whites of yer eyes..."

Slowly, Tobi did as he was told and gaped in shock at the gunwielder,

" Jack!? I was wondering what happened to you! How'd you get out of Monstro?"

Jack smirked, flashing him a golden grin,

" I have connections... now, no hard feelings mate, but I'm afraid that your little journey," he repositioned the gun at Tobi's forehead,

" Has come to an end."

Tobi's eyes widened as Jack pulled at the trigger, the blast echoing through the halls.

* * *

Riku's eyes widened as she came speeding at him and he quickly darted away, missing the blade's razor-sharp tip by a hair. He then grunted as a loud gunshot echoed through the hallway, a terrible feeling imediately washing over him,

" Kid... whoa!!"

Riku ducked, Hikari's blade smashing into the wall where his neck had just been. He winced as his wound began to throb and he quickly dashed over to his staff, raising it in defense.

Hikari snarled, pulling the blade from the wall with a bit of difficulty. She then turned to Riku and smirked as her eyes met his raised staff,

" You wouldn't hurt me... you love me."

He straightened, a bead of sweat slowly sliding down his forehead. Hikari giggled, her voice echoing hauntingly as she disappeared.

Riku narrowed his eyes, remembering back to Agrabah and the struggle with Aladdin,

_' This is the same attack Aladdin used... the one I couldn't sense!'_

_--Agrabah--_

_He frowned, a bead of sweat gliding down his face as waited for Aladdin's next attack. It came quickly, so quickly, in fact, that he could no longer sense Aladdin's presence. He straightened, focusing on the energies in the room. There was Tobi by the far wall, still unconscious, Kae was waging a small war against two masses of Heartless to his right, Ahmal was kneeling beside a mass of green, something he'd never seen before, but Aladdin was..._

_" Over here, Green Eyes!"_

_He spun around just in time to receive a kick in the face...._

_----_

Riku grunted, closing his eyes to focus. He couldn't sense anything... it was like she had just disappeared. Trying a bit harder, he gasped, snapping to attention as he felt a sudden pain shoot through his shoulder,

" Behind you, loverboy."

Slowly and painfully, Riku glanced over his shoulder to see that she'd dug her sword into his left shoulder blade. She smirked, slowly twisting it in a circle as she pulled it out of his bone.

Riku clenched his fist tightly as the pain errupted through his body, his vision becoming a bit blurry. In a quick motion to stop the sensation, he spun quickly to his right and slammed his staff into her side. The blade was dragged sideways out of his shoulder and he let out a yelp, staggering back against the wall. Hikari had been flung into the wall opposite and she was now on her hands and knees, tightly gripping her bruised side. She then glanced up at him, her eyes wavering with tears,

" Riku....? Why...?"

He straightened and took in a deep breath as she started to cough,

" Hikari?"

Rushing to her side, he placed a hand lightly on her back, his right hand still holding the staff and being used for balance,

" Are you alright?"

She shuddered a few times, sniffling,

" You hopeless sap."

He grunted, eyes wide and he clenched his fist around his staff as she crawled away from him. Glancing down, he saw that a green, silhouetted switch-blade was now imbeded in his ribs. Clamping a hand around it firmly, he yanked it out in one motion and dropped it, staggering back,

_' She's doing something to me... I can't fight her.'_

Hikari giggled again, raising her katana high above her head to slice him in two.

This time, however, he was a bit more prepared for it and he swung his staff up as she swung her sword down, blocking the oncoming blow.

She gasped, seeming shocked as he raised a foot and kicked her in the stomach. The girl fell down, her sword clattering away from her. She began to push herself up but was halted as Riku shoved the end of his staff into her chest, keeping her stationed.

Hikari pouted, batting tears from her eyes,

" But, Riku I.....I thought you loved me."

Riku snarled, jabbing her with the staff,

" Well... _you_ thought wrong. The Hikari _I_ loved would never have tried to hurt me, no matter what. You're obviously just some stupid b$# who's decided to play dress up and use her looks to make me weak... well, it's not working that way. Get up."

He raised the staff so that she could stand. She reached for the katana, but Riku was quick to place the staff at her neck,

" Leave the sword."

His staff followed under her chin as she stood and he took in a deep breath,

" Now, tell me. Just who the h$# are you? And what've you done with Kae?"

Hikari smirked, a new voice escaping her throat,

" You're very perceptive, Mr. Shimui."

Riku snarled at the sound of his last name, but otherwise, did nothing. She lowered her head, her hair warping to a sandy-blonde colour. When she raised her head, her face was completely new. She was pale-skinned, with narrow eyes and high cheek bones. Her lips were thin, almost snake-like, and she had a deeper voice than Hikari's, too,

" They call me Vixen. And why does the girl's well-being concern you... you'll both be dead soon, anyway."


	39. Chapter ThirtyEight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

_Kae now sat in her room, glancing at all the pictures on her dresser. These... these images were ones she'd never seen before! She didn't even remember experiencing them firsthand! Come to think of it...she couldn't remember much of anything, anymore. But there she was in everyone of them, each smile on her face bigger than the last. She snorted,_

_" Now, I definately don't remember that!"_

_Kae had picked up a picture taken at Halloween. She was dressed as a pirate, while her mother and father had switched places. In the photo, she was sitting high atop her father's shoulders, and he had a ''deer-in-headlights'' look on his face. He wore a pretty, pink, Princess dress and sparkling tiara to match. _

_Her mother was wearing a knight's outfit and had draped herself on his arm, a plastic sword sheathed on her belt. Kae laughed, glancing quickly over at another one of the photos. It looked like she was wearing a soccer uniform and it seemed to be a pretty recent picture. Placing the Halloween one back in it's spot, she picked up the soccer one. She frowned, spotting a strange creature in the background. It was a man with blue skin and crimson hair that fell just past his ears. He had a tail and she could faintly see a tiny hole smack dab in the middle of it's tip._

_Closing her eyes, she struggled with her fading memory to try and remember him. All she could find was a faded voice saying,_

_' " Don't forget.....charming...in a non-aptitude sort of way...."'_

_The words confused her. Maybe she'd met him in a dream or something. She gasped as a sudden bang echoed throughout the island loudly and she ran to her window. Everything seemed to be normal. She then gasped as her door creaked open and she spun around, seeing her mother. Smiling, brightly, she raced over and embraced the woman tightly,_

_" Mom!"_

_Her mother seemed confused by this and she placed a hand on the girl's head,_

_" Kae? What's going on?"_

_Kae glanced up at her, beaming,_

_" Oh, nothing. I'm just happy to see you..."_

_Smiling her mother tousled her hair and giggled,_

_" Well, I'm happy to see you, too. Look, you're father's going out to the beach to watch the fireworks tonight. I have to stay here and clean the house, so I'd like it if you'd go with him and keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything crazy, alright?"_

_Kae nodded, beaming brightly,_

_" Yes, ma'am!" _

_She then scampered out the door and downstairs, arriving just in time to see her father heading for the door,_

_" Daddy! Wait up!"_

_He turned, smiling at her happily,_

_" So, I guess this means you're going with me, huh?"_

_She nodded, heading out first,_

_" Mom said I had to keep an eye on you."_

_" Oh, did she now?"_

* * *

Jack's eyes widened as the smoke from his gun cleared, the boy now nowhere in sight. He soon felt a tap at his shoulder and he turned slightly. No one was there.

" Up here, Cappy!"

Jack turned his gaze up to see that Tobi was now clinging to the ceiling, his tail twitching rapidly. Smirking, Jack raised his gun,

" Well... wasn't that a neat trick. Clever boy....but now, you have no place to go but down..."

He prepared to fire again, but Tobi leapt down from the ceiling and landed on his face before he could fire any bullets.

Jack cursed, suddenly jamming a dagger into the boy's leg. Tobi yelped and fell backwards to the cold, marble floor, quickly tending to his throbbing shin. He glanced up at Jack, his eyes widening as the dagger morphed back into the pirate's hand,

" I see you've got some tricks, too..."

Jack glanced over at his hand, which was now drenched in blood, then turned back to Tobi,

" And there's plen'y more where that came from..."

His hand morphed into another gun and he aimed both pistols at the boy,

" Nighty-night...."

Firing both simultaneously, he groaned as the boy, again, disappated before his eyes. Slumping, Jack turned around and glared at Tobi, who was now sitting behind him,

" Will you STOP doing that!?"

Tobi smirked, shaking his head as he disappeared again. This time, he didn't reappear anywhere. Jack frowned, soon hearing the sound of footsteps on the floor above him. One was lagged behind the other and the pirate cursed, rushing for the elevator,

" He's after the girl!"

* * *

Vixen quickly grabbed the end of Riku's staff and shoved it back into his stomach. She then rushed over to her katana and swiped it at him. He grunted, the tips of his staff closest him now covered in blood. It had jabbed into his previous wound. Glancing up just in time to see her blade, he darted away from her, the katana's razor-sharp tip slicing open his right arm. He spun around, slamming his staff smack into her back and she coughed, all of her breath being knocked out of her. He then swung it around to the otherside, slamming her in the stomach.

She flew into the wall opposite him, her katana dropping to the floor at his feet. Quickly, he picked it up and pressed the tip lightly against her exposed neck. Vixen spat out a small amount of blood and smirked, snarling visciously,

" I _won't_ live with the shame..."

Riku frowned, confused by the woman's words. Smiling her last, she closed her eyes,

" Till we meet again... Axel."

She then rushed forward, a few drops of blood spurting onto Riku's cheek. He quickly let go of the weapon and watched as her now green form fell sideways, the bloody katana lodged in her neck. As she hit the floor, it sliced through her flesh and her head rolled a ways down the hall, leaving a trail of blood in it's wake. Riku took in a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head. He turned away, quickly rushing back down the hall. It was a good thing that the Heartless had decided to leave, he didn't think he'd be able to fight much for a while. But... he knew he would soon have to, anyway...

_

* * *

_

_Kae and her father now lie on the beach, the stars in the sky shining brightly overhead. The young girl smiled. She'd never felt so happy in her life....not that she remembered much of her life up to this point. It was like all of her past memories had been erased. Her most recent ones started when Aki found her...._

_She could've cared less, however. This new life with her family and friends made her too happy to wonder what had been before. _

_Turning to her father, she frowned,_

_" Daddy? What are the stars made of?"_

_He took in a deep breath, frowning himself,_

_" Well.... I don't really know myself, sweetheart. I guess...that every star is a door to another world or something."_

_Kae sighed, gazing back up at the night sky,_

_" Have you ever been to another world, Daddy?"_

_He sat up, leaning over her with a smile,_

_" Many, Angel."_

_" What was it like?"_

_" Well, there were a lot of people there... a lot of magic, too."_

_" Magic? Like the kind you use on Mom sometimes?"_

_" Hack! N-No... not quite that type..."_

* * *

Tobi winced, grunting as he staggered over to a nearby wall. Glancing down at his leg, he sucked in a breath and clenched his fists. His pants were now stained in blood and he could feel the skin on his shin begin to slowly peel apart, shooting a stinging pain up his spine. He then winced, pulling away from the wall as he dragged his injured leg down the hall,

" You'd think I'd tried to....shave it or something..."

* * *

Riku winced as he headed up the stairwell, the wounds in his stomach and ribs painfully throbbing in unison. It was a shame that he hadn't brought any potion with him... he could've really used one for the pain. He wished he knew Cure, too, but he was no more skilled in that type of magic than a virgin would be skilled at sex. The silver-haired man then shook his head,

" Well, that was a weird analogy..."

_" Riku!!"_

Riku paused, frowning as he slowly glanced behind him. No one was there. Turning back to the task at hand, he glanced up toward the top of the stairwell and gasped. There was an image of a woman standing there, an actual image of her!! Much like Aladdin's younger self back in Agrabah...

Riku's eyes widened at her from behind the mask of darkness that was his blindfold. He knew this lady, knew her from long ago...

She batted her sapphire eyes at him, her short, ruby locks of hair framing her face as a tear fell from her eye,

_" Help him, Riku.... please!"_

She then turned and ran up the next flight of stairs.

Riku gulped, taking in a deep breath as he chased after the near 25-year-old,

" Kairi!"

She had been wearing a white skirt and white shoes, a lavender jacket that was zipped up halfway, and that same crystal necklace she'd worn when she was 14.

He caught a glimpse of the spectral Kairi as he rounded the stairs, ignoring the pain shooting through his body,

" Kairi!!"

Upon reaching the top of the last flight of stairs, he gasped to find her standing before a set of bright red doors. She turned to face him, her body glowing softly through the darkness surrounding the doors,

_" Riku... help him, please..."_

She then turned and stepped through the closed doors, disappearing from his sight.

Riku tensed, quickly following as he shoved the doors open,

" Kairi, wait!!"

There was a red figure standing in the midst of a dark vortex and Riku frowned, knowing immediately who it was. The silhouette Sora turned to him slowly, a bright red Keyblade in his grasp. Kairi was no where in sight.

Riku took in a few deep breaths, trying to get his breathing pattern back in check,

" Sora..."


	40. Chapter ThirtyNine

Chapter Thirty- Nine

_" Hey, Daddy? Remember the stories you used to tell me when I was little? You know, the ones about Peter Pan and Wonderland... and Monstro?"_

_He glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow,_

_" Yeah...? What about them?"_

_Kae giggled as she sat up cross-legged, smirking down at her father confidently,_

_" I met them."_

_He smiled back, pushing himself up,_

_" Oh, did you, now?"_

_She nodded, glancing back out at the dark ocean as the soft sea breeze swept through her choppy locks,_

_" Peter was nice, but overall he seemed a little self-centered. Monstro wasn't too bad, if you get could past the stagnant smell of rotting fish everytime it burped. And in Wonderland, there was this noisy Queen. She chewed me out and locked me in jail, just because I stepped on her stupid shoe. There was this other boy there with me... his name was Tobi. He was...."_

_She then frowned, her father raising an eyebrow in question,_

_" He was...?"_

_Kae bit her thumbnail and pouted, her gaze lowering to the sand,_

_" I don't... remember."_

_' Tobi...Tobi.... who is Tobi?' _

* * *

Tobi straightened upon hearing a his name echo throughout the hall. It sounded as though it had come from a door around the next corner. He limped as quickly as he could toward the source, his leg leaving a trail of fresh blood on the marble floor. He reached a door that was painted completely black, a deep contrast to it's pearly white surroundings. Wincing sharply, he staggered over to them and pushed at the doors with all his might. They were stuck.

The voice cried out again from inside the room and Tobi pounded a fist on the door, continuing to struggle with it,

" Kae, hold on!!"

* * *

" Sora..."

Sora remained silent, shooting daggers at Riku. He then suddenly sped forward at his former ally and jabbed the dark Keyblade at him. Riku quickly dodged it, a thousand waves of pain shooting though his body as he did so. Sora calmly pulled the tip of the blade from the wall and turned to face the silver-haired man.

Riku again darted away, this time calling out to the brunette,

" Sora, stop!!"

Sora ignored him, letting out a loud battle cry as he hurled the blade in Riku's direction. The blind man side-stepped it easily and clenched his fists tightly,

" I'm not gonna fight you, Sora!"

Sora smirked as the blade whirled around, swiping Riku across the right nape of his neck. It then sped back to his hand and he grabbed it, twirling it back into fighting postion,

" Then you'll die."

He then sped forward and disappeared before Riku's ''eyes''...

_

* * *

_

_Kae now sat on her porch, frowning as she stared down at a pad of paper. The soft glow of the porch light made the summer night seem comforting, like it used to be,_

_' What do I mean, how it used to be? Hasn't it always been like this?'_

_She then glare down at the blank sheet before her and pouted, attempting to draw a picture of this ' Tobi' character she somehow remembered. _

_The image of a boy about 19 or 20 appeared nearly 20 minutes later. His hair was nice and straight, just reaching past his pointed ears. A tiny gold hoop was set in his left ear and a twine choker with a single cowrie shell in the center hung at his neck. He wore a tight-fitting, muscle tee beneathe a plaid overshirt and a pair of drawstring khakis ornamented his waist. HIs shoes were simple, but she couldn't remember much detail about them, so they were blank. Around his right wrist was a twine bracelet with a pair of cowrie shells laced within it._

_There was something missing to him though... some obvious thing she'd left out. His face had been a blur, so she hadn't been able to draw it in... but that wasn't what was missing,_

_" What is it.... What's missing on you, Tobi?" _

* * *

Tobi pounded relentlessly on the large, steel doors, his fears building with every cry the girl made,

" Kae!!"

Her calls seemed to be somewhat confused, as if she was looking for him or something,

" Tobi..."

He pressed his back against the door, pushing back with all of his might,

" Kae, hold on!!"

Glancing up, he gasped to see the elevator doors down the hall open. Jack stepped out, pistol raised at the boy, and began to shoot at him. Tobi grunted, a bullet piercing his side as he scampered to a close hiding spot.

* * *

Riku gulped, taking a deep breath. Sora apparently knew the little trick, too, and if he didn't track the younger man down fast, this fight was sure to be over quickly. He closed his eyes, attempting to track him when a sudden, searing pain shot through his right set of ribs and he glanced down. The tip of Sora's blade was exiting through the front of his cloak, covered in fresh blood...

_

* * *

_

_Kae frowned, rubbing her temples sorely as she tried hard to remember,_

_" Tobi, Tobi, Tobi...."_

_" Who's he?"_

_She then glanced up with a small scream, then smiled in embarrassment,_

_" Oh... hey, Aki."_

_Aki smirked, sitting down beside her on the porch step,_

_" Whatcha up to?"_

_Kae shrugged, shaking her head,_

_" Oh... it's nothing. I'm just trying to remember where I've seen this guy before."_

_The blonde boy raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her picture, shaking his head,_

_" Hmmm... I dunno. It's really good, though."_

_Kae blushed slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear,_

_" Thank you."_

_When she glanced back up at him, she raised an eyebrow. He was now staring at her. Nervously, she touched her cheek and shied away,_

_" What? Is there something on my face?"_

_Aki laughed, grabbing hold of her wrist and turning her back to face him,_

_" Yeah..."_

_The 12-year-old then blushed as he leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her lips. A faint taste of mango tickled her tasebuds as the kiss deepened, the rosy colour of her cheeks now darkening to a deep cherry. _

* * *

Tobi gulped, clamping a hand on his left side tightly as Jack called him out,

" You know hiding won't do you any good, mate. Best we just get this ov'a with now, aye?"

The azure boy closed his eyes, wincing painfully as Kae let out a scream and cursed,

" D$$#, Jack!! What's wrong with you, huh? Can't you see Kae needs our help--"

Jack smirked, slowly stepping toward Tobi's hiding spot,

" You can no more help her than you can help yourself, boy. Now, don't try to escape, this time. Your end is inevit'ble..."

Tobi closed his eyes, quickly rushing out of his hiding spot and leapt at the ex-Captain, tackling him to the floor. Jack cursed, his pistol clattering away from him,

" D$# you..."

Tobi let out a yell and grasped Jack's head tightly in his hands. The boy then slammed him against the floor repeatedly, causing the pirate to cry out in pain. Black fluid gathered freshly on the white, marble floor and seeped through the cracks with every blow that was made. Jack grabbed hold of the boy's neck, his eyes wide as the boy repeatedly slammed his head against the floor. Tobi gasped as Jack's grip tightened and clenched his pointy teeth in pain,

" No...."

Suddenly, the boy snapped the pirates head sideways. Jack's eyes widened and his body fell limp, his hands releasing the boy from their death grip. Tobi gasped, shooting away from Jack as the pirate's head fell to the side. The 20-year-old than glanced down at his hands, taking in fearful breaths. Had he just....had he just killed someone? The hall was unsettlingly silent and Tobi snapped back to attention, limping over to the door,

" Kae..."

* * *

Riku gaped in shock at the blade now jutting through his cloak. With a quick motion, Sora yanked the blade back out and kicked Riku in the side, hurling him to the floor. The silver-haired man grunted, coughing up blood as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Sora smirked, stepped over the man's shaking body, and kicked him right where he'd just been stabbed. Riku let out a cry and tumbled across the floor, slicking it down with his blood. He landed on his stomach, his blindfold loosening around his face to reveal one of his paling eyes.

The green was nearly gone in them, overrun by a milky-white film substance. He felt all the life in him begin to whither away, the world around him now completely black. His hearing was fading and he took in a fearful breath. It seemed the end was near....


	41. Chapter Forty

Chapter Fourty

Tobi pounded his fist against the door, crying out again,

" Kae, hold on!! I'm coming!"

He then backed up a ways and let out a cry, rushing toward the door at full speed. Ramming himself into it, he fell back onto the marble floor and grunted, groaning as he clasped a hand to the back of his head,

" That wasn't smart.... ow..."

He then frowned and raised both his legs, instantly remembering that he had more kicking power than anything else. He pounded his feet against the steel doors, crying out as a sharp pain surged through his left shin. That didn't matter now, though. He had to get to Kae through any means possible...

* * *

Riku felt his hand begin to twitch and he groaned, his eyes lightly fluttering closed. That's when he heard her sobs. A soft warmth touched his back and he frowned, opening his eyes to see the image of Kairi glowing in the darkness. She was crying on him, her etheral tears warming his skin,

_" No, Riku...."_

The silver-haired man frowned, taking in a sharp breath. She was crying for him? _Kairi_ was crying for _him_? He could hear Sora's boots lightly tapping against the flooring as the younger man walked to the opposite end of the room. Kairi's sobs grew louder and Riku grunted, pushing himself painfully off the floor. She then gasped, shattering into a million gold pieces as he stood and faced Sora.

Raising his staff in defense, Riku coughed, spitting a dab of blood to the side,

" You ..."

Sora turned, glaring Riku down in silence. Riku took in ragged breaths, rushing forward at Sora in a blind rage,

" You made Kairi cry, YOU BA$T##D!!"

* * *

Tobi yelped, bashing the doors in one last time. They flung open, one flying off completely and the other swinging idly on it's hinges as he burst inside,

" Kae!"

He gasped at what he saw. A long staircase leading to a strange, glowing, purple orb.... and Kae lay inside it. Tobi straightened, quickly limping up the steps to get to her,

" Kae!!"

_

* * *

_

_Kae giggled as the kiss ended, Aki now gazing into her sapphire eyes with his lime-coloured ones. The girl blushed as he leaned in again, her drawing falling from her lap and onto the dewy grass below the porch._

_' " Kae!"'_

_She groaned in aggrivation and ignored the voice calling her name, placing a hand on Aki's chest. _

_' " Kae!!"'_

_This time she broke the kiss and glanced out at the field behind her house. No one was there. Aki placed a hand on her arm and frowned,_

_" What's wrong?"_

_The girl then frowned in turn. There was something different about Aki's touch... something distant._

_' Something cold.'_

* * *

" You made her cry, YOU BA$T##D!!"

Riku swung the staff with all of his might, aiming it to connect with Sora's head. Sora's eyes widened and he raised his arm, swatting it away with ease. The silver-haired man growled at his and kicked the brunette in the right side, sending him flying toward the wall. Riku's paling left eye glittered with tears of rage, the blindfold having loosened to reveal it. It loosened further as he walked, fluttering to the black, marble floor.

He completely ignored his pains from the previous battle with Vixen, his energies focusing only on the blinding rage boiling within him. Back 25 years ago, both he and Sora had made Kairi a promise. They had promised never to hurt her, to always protect her, and most of all, always to be there when she need them most. He himself had already broken the promise to her, but now, so had Sora. The brunette b$# had made her cry...and now, he was gonna pay for it.

Sora coughed, pushing himself up off the floor. The wall had crumbled and sprayed dust all over him, making him seem a little paler. He wiped the blood from his lips and growled, charging at Riku with the Keyblade. Riku, in turn, charged at him with his staff and the two clashed in the center of the room, their weapons clashing with a cold clang. Riku snarled, his body beginning to glow green. His eyes turned a deep charcoal and the winds around him caused his silver locks to flutter upward.

Sora tensed, his eyes widening in shock. Riku sensed the fear growing in his opponent and smirked, his voice echoing as he spoke,

" What's the matter, _Sora_? Cat got your tongue?"

Sora growled, pushing forward with the Keyblade as he let out a battle cry. Riku laughed, letting himself be pushed into the wall as Sora's anger grew,

" Sora, Sora, Sora..."

He then held out a hand and blasted the younger man in the stomach, sending him hurtling to the floor. Sora yelped in pain, pushing himself up onto his elbow as his right hand clutched his scorched middle. Riku laughed at the boy, kicking the man's elbow out from under him in satisfaction.

* * *

Tobi reached the top and gasped, gazing at her form through the purple haze. She seemed to be in a comatose state, a state which made the azure boy uneasy,

" Kae!"

He quickly stepped up and placed a hand on the barrier, quickly retracting it as a deep chill rattled his bones,

_' That can't be good...'_

* * *

Sora tried to push himself up, letting out another cry as Riku kicked him roughly in the stomach. He tumbled away, sliding to a stop face down a few feet away from him. Smirking madly, Riku then stepped over the man's body and placed a foot down on his back,

" You know... I'd hate to kick a man when he's down... so, I think I'll just _stomp_ on him."

He then raised his foot and rammed it into Sora's back, causing the brunette to cry out in agony. Riku did this repeatedly, laughing with each of Sora's cries,

" Not so fun being _Keybearer_ anymore, is it, _Sora_?"

Sora growled, turning over as Riku raised his foot again and rammed the Keyblade into the silver-haired one's leg. Riku let out a cry and staggered backward, glaring at Sora as the man stood up. Both were breathing raggedly now and Riku could sense the fear in Sora's heart. He smirked as Sora disappeared... it looked as though the _Keybearer_ was becoming desperate.

_

* * *

_

_" What's the matter, K? You see something?"_

_She stood and hopped off the porch, stepping a ways out into the field. A cold wind blew past her and she shivered, rubbing her arms as he stepped up behind her,_

_" I dunno..."_

_When she glanced up behind her, she let out a scream and backed away, finding that it was not Aki after all. Now, standing there was a boy about 19 or 20, wearing a muscle tee, a plaid overshirt, and drawstring khakis and tan Vans black trim. His hair was a blood red in colour, his skin an azure blue, and his eyes were a brilliant gold gleaming through the darkness. _

_Kae looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow,_

_" Who... who are you?"_

_The boy kneeled down before her and grabbed her shoulder, gazing up into her eyes,_

_" Kae, it's me. It's me, Tobi! Don't you remember?"_

_The blue-eyed girl frowned and glanced over at her steno pad,_

_" Tobi..."_

_Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a tail twitching from behind him, one that matched his skin perfectly. There was also a small hole in it, as thought it had been shot thorugh with a bullet or something. Then she remembered her soccer photo._

_He'd been in the background. The girl frowned, stepping back from him,_

_" Are you stalking me?"_

_Tobi's eyes widened and he shook his head, stepping over to her,_

_" No! No, Kae, I'm not a stalker! It's me, don't you remember!? Tobi! I'm charming in a non-aptitude sort of way!"_

_The girl's eyes widened and she hurried back for her house,_

_" You stay away from me. Mom!? Daddy!? Mom!! Da--"_

_" They're not here, Kae."_

_The auburn-haired girl spun on her heel and narrowed her eyes at him,_

_" What did you say?"_

_Tobi lowered his head, sighing as he ran a hand through his thick, red locks,_

_" They're not here... they're dead."_

_Kae's eye widened and she climbed up on the porch, stepping back hastily,_

_" Stop saying that... My parent's are not dead."_

_Tobi gazed up at her with sympathetic golden eyes and took a step toward her,_

_" Yes, they are, Kae. They died 14 years ago... you said so yourself, remember?"_

_The 12-year-old laughed nervously, shaking her head,_

_" Ha, ha, dumba$$, I'm only twelve-years-old. They couldn't possibly have died 14 years ago, or else I wouldn't be--"_

_" You're 19, Kae."_

_The girl shook her head, scrambling backward to get away,_

_" Stay away from me..."_

_She screamed upon turning around and Tobi clamped a hand over her mouth,_

_" Kae! Kae, listen to me!!"_

_Kae fought to get away, but this ' Tobi' was too strong for her. He conintued, clamping both hands on her shoulders,_

_" Your parents are dead, Kae! You grew up alone! The Heartless killed them, don't you remember? The Heartless killed them and you watched it happen!!"_

_" SHUT UP!! MY PARENTS AREN'T DEAD!!"_

_Tobi grabbed the girl by the cheeks and forced her to look up into his eyes, despite the fact that she'd shut them tight,_

_" Don't you see it, Kae! The Unknowns just want you to think this so that the darkness can take root in your heart! They've blindsided you, Kae!! Kae! Listen to me!! Your parents are dead! Everyone on these islands are dead, Kae! You told me that back when we first met, remember!? That was nearly a month ago!"_

_" YOU'RE LYING!! I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE!!"_

_" If you've never seen me before then why did you draw me in that journal of yours over there?"_

_The girl opened her eyes and gazed into his glowing yellow eyes, her pupils shrinking behind the vast blue of her irises. Tobi blinked, frowning as he gazed back into her sapphires,_

_" Remember, Kae. Remember the truth..."_

_--14 years ago--_

_" SORA!? KAIRI!?"_

_She gasped as the Heartless turned her way and started to skitter over to the closet door. She backed up quickly as one sniffed at the door and pressed herself back against the wall. Her heart was pounding a-mile-a-minute as it nudged the door open. Sliding down the wall, she tucked her legs under her arms and tried to hide herself, but it would do her no good. As soon as it managed to pry the door wide open, it squealed and leapt into the air. She gasped, tensing and covering her head in her arms. She was almost ready for the blow... had it come to her at all. Blinking in confusion, she glanced up and smiled happily. _

_Her aunt Selphie was smiling down at her and the woman scooped her into a warm hug,_

_" Are you okay, sugar?"_

_The little girl nodded and blinked, soon hearing another voice shout from behind her,_

_" Selphie!"_

_The brunette woman turned and blinked up at her husband, the little girl's uncle Tidus. He was near frantic,_

_" Did you find her!?"_

_Selphie nodded, grabbing the girl's hand and leading her out of the closet,_

_" She was hiding in there, Tidus."_

_Tidus knelt down and put a hand on the girl's cheek as she sniffled,_

_" Are you alright?"_

_Little Kae glanced over to the bed and saw the bloody mess of her father. His chest had been ripped open violently and his hand hung limply off the edge of the bed. It twitched, making the young girl smile as she ran over to him,_

_" Daddy!"_

_Selphie and Tidus were both too late to grab her as she climbed up onto the bed and poked his face,_

_" Daddy, wake up! It's no time to be sleeping!!"_

_She glanced down at the huge, wet, red spot on his chest and gasped. His crown pendant was now cracked and it had fallen into the wound, sinking into the squishy, blood-filled cavity with a squirsh. Poking his cheek idly one last time, his eyes suddenly shot open and she screamed, blood pouring from them down his face._

_--_

_" Hey.... hey! Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"_

_--_

_--Agrabah--_

_" My father's dead, son. He died when I was five-years-old. As did my mother and the rest of my family. The only person I had for protection was a young boy who was two years my senior and he died when I was twelve. I may not know what it's like to fight the Heartless with just a stick and a sister, but I sure as h$# know what it's like to fight them with a pair of pistols and alone, so the next time you want to say something about someone, say it about yourself. You know him better."_

_--_

_" Hey.... hey! Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"_

_--_

_--9 years ago--_

_" Hurry, you two!!"_

_Selphie and Tidus ushered the two onto a moving train. The last of the survivours from their tiny island were scrambling to escape to the Northern Islands, hoping that the Heartless hadn't reached there yet. A ten-year-old Kae glanced up at Aki as they hopped up onto the caboose, the train speeding away from the boy's parents. _

_Aki gripped the handrail tightly, calling out to them as they began to shrink in the distance,_

_" Mom!! Dad!! Hurry, get on the--"_

_A large crowd of Heartless soon scampered up behind Aki's parents, the boy's eyes widening with every fearful breath,_

_" No, LOOKOUT!!"_

_They didn't turn around, the Heartless obtaining the couple as easy prey. The dark creatures tore their bodies to shreds, then devoured the quivering hearts left on the blood-slick cement._

_Kae let out a shrill scream as Aki fell to his knees, reaching toward their remnants through the bars as he cried out painfully,_

_" NO!!!!!"_

_--_

_" Hey.... hey! Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"_

_--_

_--7 years ago--_

_" Kae, go!!"_

_The auburn haired twelve-year-old shook her head, holding on tightly to Aki's arm as he took a defensive stance toward the Heartless. The creatures had invaded the North Islands.... and the South Islands, and the West Islands, too. They two of them now stood on the East Islands, the only one that had remained clear of the Heartless for the last two years._

_Aki took in a deep breath and grabbed hold of the girl's hand, quickly rushing into a nearby house. The family inside frowned as the two ran through their dining room, screaming as the Heartless ran in and began to rip them apart. Aki cursed as one leapt on him and dug it's claw into his collarbone. Kae quickly smacked it away, a cold feeling surging through her as she touched it. _

_Aki gritted his teeth, pushing the girl into an upstairs bedroom. He ran inside after her and quickly locked the door behind him, falling to his knees. She rushed over to him, her eyes filled with tears,_

_" Aki--"_

_The 14-year-old boy turned, pushing himself up off the floor,_

_" Kae..."_

_He grabbed her by the shoulder and ushered her into a nearby, tall cabinet, wincing as she turned. Her eyes were full of tears and she shook her head,_

_" Aki, please don't leave me..."_

_He sucked in a breath and pulled her close to him, planting a single, passionate kiss on her lips,_

_" See ya, 'round, Spunky..."_

_She gasped as he closed the doors on her, screaming loudly,_

_" AKI!! AKI, NO! DON'T GO!!"_

_Hot tears fell from her eyes and she cursed, trying as hard as she could to push the doors open,_

_" Da$$#t...."_

_Peering through the small crack between the cabinet doors, she gasped to see that Aki was staggering toward the bedroom door. He held his father's staff in hand and he seemed determined to fight off the Heartless with it.... or die trying._

_The door suddenly stopped rattling and he straightened, turning quickly to head back to the cabinet. A strange man soon appeared, wearing a blood red coat with the hood lowered. She heard Aki gasp and the man jabbed forward with his glowing, green sabre, the sound of Aki's staff clattering to the floor filling her ears. The man pulled his sabre away, then stepped around the boy. Aki clutched his stomach with both hands and he grunted, eyes wide as he glanced up at the cabinet. _

_Kae felt her heart stop as his knees hit the floor and he forced a painful smile, mouthing three words to her as his last breath escaped him,_

_" I love you..."_

_He then collapsed onto the hardwood floor, face down as blood poured from his stomach. _

_The boy's assassin had left the Heartless to tend to the body, not even bothering to check the cabinet for her. She let out a shrill scream as the creatures devoured his flesh, ripping him apart bone-by-bone in the search for his precious heart. Shoving at the doors violently, she screamed as the cabinet toppled over onto it's front, trapping her inside,_

_" AKI!!!"_

_She screamed again as soon as she heard the Heartless scamper on top of the cabinet and scratch at the wood surface. They began to claw their way through and Kae panicked. She couldn't protect herself if she was face down. A sharp pain seared through her back as a Heartless swiped it's deadly claw across her skin, ripping her red-orange shirt open. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she gasped, soon spotting a glinting object by her elbow._

_It was a pair of shining pistols halstered nicely in their leather bonds...._

_--_

_" Hey.... hey! Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"_

_--_

_" Kae?"_

_Kae gasped, tears falling from her eyes as she reopened them. She found herself in the vortex once more, cold and devoid of clothes. A male voice called out again and she gasped, glancing up at him from her seat on the floor,_

_" Tobi?"_

_Taking his overshirt off as he knelt down, he draped it around her shoulders,_

_" I'm here now, Kae..."_

_He smiled at her and ran a hand through her hair,_

_" You're safe."_

_Kae sniffled, bursting into tears as she leaned into his chest. After a few minutes, she began pounding on it angrily,_

_" NO!! YOU'RE NOT REAL!! NOTHING HERE IS REAL! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"_

_He pulled her into a warm embrace and she continued to pound at his chest, kicking and screaming madly as her vision faded..._

--

Tobi broke the metal bonds and quickly pulled her out of the barrier into his arms, wincing as she pounded her fists against his chest,

" NO!! YOU'RE NOT REAL!! NOTHING HERE IS REAL! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

He tried to keep a grip on her, but the material on her trenchcoat made it difficult. It was sleek and hard to hold on to. Pulling her to his chest, he stroked the hairs hanging from her bun and hastily carried her out of the room,

" Shhh... you're safe now, Kae. I'm here... I'm always here..."


	42. Chapter FortyOne

Chapter Forty-One

Riku smirked as Sora disappeared and he shut his eyes. He could _feel_ every energy in the room...but he couldn't _see _it. Concentrating on the energies a bit harder, he gasped. The red silhouette of Sora appeared behind him, Keyblade poised and ready to slice his head right from his shoulders. Riku grunted as the silhouette swung and ducked quickly, spinning on his heel in a low crouch. With a loud cry, he raised his staff and rammed the silhouette in the stomach, frowning as he heard a strange gurgling noise.

Riku raised his head, gasping at what he realized had happened. Sora's silhouette began to flicker from red to blue to gold in rapid patterns. It finally stationed itself on blue and Sora gasped softly,

" Ri....Riku?"

Riku's eyes widened and Sora's silhouette disappeared. Where was his d$# blindfold when he needed it!? He closed his eyes again, Sora's silhouette reappearing before him.

Sora took in a deep breath, grunting painfully. Riku remained silent, gaping in shock at what was happening. He soon felt a warm liquid run onto his hand and he gasped, Sora coughing harshly.

The younger man then glanced up and gasped, spotting two figures at the door. One was an azure boy with a twitching tail, the other was the sleeping girl lying in his arms. He smiled, taking in a deep breath,

" Kae..."

He then grunted and fell back, hitting the cold, marble floor with a loud thud. Riku gasped, kneeling down beside him,

" Sora!!"

Sora smirked weakly, taking one final breath,

" Take...care of her..."

He then ceased movement and fell limp, his eyes locked in a gaze with Riku for eternity.

Riku's mouth hung agape as he watched his friend's energy slowly become green. He took in short breaths, then leaned down and touched heads with Sora, sobbing silently. Feeling around the young man's face, he closed Sora's eyes with his thumbs and raised up, opening his eyes to see nothing but darkness before him.

He was then startled as a voice called out from behind him,

" Riku?"

Gasping, the silver-haired man wiped the tears from his eyes and stood carefully, turning to face the boy,

" Yeah!"

Tobi shifted Kae in his arms, coughing,

" I found Kae. We can get out of here now..."

Riku nodded, turning back to his friend's body,

" All right..."

Tobi then frowned, limping a ways into the room,

" Are you...uh... are you okay? Riku?"

Riku winced, the pain from his wounds rushing back through him finally as he took in a deep breath,

" Yeah... I'm just fine."

The azure boy smiled weakily, shrugging,

" Well then... uh... let's go, huh?"

Riku nodded, still gazing at Sora's limp form,

" Okay..."

_" Riku!"_

The silver-haired man jumped, glancing up from Sora to see a pair of glittering ghosts. They were both 14 again and the etheral Sora offered him a smile as Kairi swayed beside him,

_" Thanks..."_

Riku smiled, nodding to the boy silently. Kairi then grabbed Sora's hand and giggled softly, leading him away. Both shattered into gold dust. The silver haired man sniffled, smiling as he turned around to face Tobi,

" Let's go..."

Tobi returned the smile and shifted Kae into a more comfortable position, limping slowly out the door. Riku winced as he walked, carefully scooping his blindfold up off the floor as he exited the room,

_' D$$#... I just know I'm gonna feel this in the morning...'_

* * *

" So... it seems that the Keybearer has been defeated after all..."

Darien frowned, taking in a deep breath as both he and Ansem monitored the cameras,

" It would seem so..."

" And Vixen... as well?"

Ansem noted, poking at a screen in the far left corner. It showed the woman's body, her head halfway down the hall.

Darien coughed, nearly hurling at the image,

" Y-Yes..."

Ansem sighed, shaking his head,

" Where's Jack?"

The dark-haired 19-year-old shifted uncomfortably,

" Gone, too, I'm afraid..."

Ansem nodded, frowning as he turned to Darien,

" And Axel?"

* * *

A fiery, red-haired man entered the dark corridor, fists clenched tightly,

" He was just here... I know he was--"

He paused, his bright green eyes widening at the form lying just a few feet from him. All thought of battle escaped him and he let out an exasperated breath,

" Vixen..."

Rushing to her side, he gagged as he turned her over,

" Vixe--"

Her head had been nicely severed from her body, and he could see the many layers of muscle and organ tissue with one quick glimpse down her throat. His eyes slowly followed the trail of blood leading to her idle head and he hastily crawled over to it, gasping,

" Vixen..."

He ran his hand over her eyes to close them and snarled, a single tear of anger rolling down his cheek,

" That ba$t#rd _will_ pay..."

* * *

Riku grunted as he sat himself down in the pilot's seat and lightly grasped his stomach, Tobi smirking in a bit of amusement,

" What happened to you? Going into contractions or something?"

The silver-haired man glanced back at him and narrowed his eyes,

" You're just begging me to kill you, aren't you, kid?"

Tobi laughed, soon regretting it as a sharp pain shot through his side,

" You wouldn't hurt... an innocent, young boy, now would you?"

" No, I wouldn't. But whoever said you were innocent?"

" Hey!"

Riku smirked, laughing softly at the boy's weak retort,

" Oh, yeah? Well... um... you look like a girl!"

" Ah yes, but I'm not the one who shrieks like one am I? _' Ah! Riku, it's a cockroach! Save me! Save me!!'_ "

" That was one time! And I swear, if you bring that up in front of Kae, I'll--"

" You'll do what? Sneak in my room and braid my hair? Ooooh! I'm shaking!"

" Shut up!"

----

A few hours later, Tobi glanced down at Kae and frowned, brushing a lock of hair auburn hair from her face. She clung to him tightly, refusing to let him go no matter what. Of course, the girl was also sleeping... but that didn't matter! The boy then frowned,

_' Why would it matter, anyway? She's still asleep... in _my_ arms... and she looks so beautiful-- No, no NO!! I can't think that way about her... H$#, she doesn't even like me... Why would she? I'm just a blue-skinned freak from Nowhere Land, who could pass for a Heartless any d$# day of the week, and she's... well she's...'_

Tobi then sighed and ran his hand over her soft cheek,

" A Princess..."

" What'd you...say, kid?"

Tobi glanced up and shook his head as Riku shifted slightly to look at him,

" Oh! Nothin'... I'm just talking to myself..."

Riku smiled weakily, coughing a bit as he spoke,

" Yeah, well... don't get to excited back there... I don't think... she'd appreciate a white stain on her coat."

Tobi gagged, his eye twitching spasmodically,

" Riku... never say that again."

The silver-haired man shook his head and chuckled softly, gazing back out at the stars ahead of him.

He groaned, his face damp with sweat as he sucked air in through gritted teeth,

_' You know... this whole ' fight injury pain massive blood loss' deal is really starting to get on my last nerve...'_

Riku groaned again, clamping a hand on his ribs,

" D$##$t..."

" Riku?"

He then straightened and glanced back at Tobi's blue silhouette, forcing a smile,

" Yeah?"

Tobi frowned a little, his eyes glimmering in concern,

" Are you okay? I mean, really. You look terrible..."

" Thanks for the compliment..."

" _Riku..._"

Riku snickered a bit, wincing as he turned back to the controls,

" I'm fine, kid... don't worry about it."

Tobi nodded, remaining silent for a moment. Kae moaned, clenching tighter to Tobi's shirt as she started to squirm. The boy blushed, stiffening as her hand landed on his crotch.

He let out a small yelp and bit his lip, Riku snickering at the sounds he was hearing,

" Whoa! What are you two doin' back there? Having an or--"

" DON'T SAY IT!!"

----

A few more hours and Tobi awoke to the sound of Riku's ragged gasps for air. This worried him. Riku had never been like this before... well, except for the time when Tifa...

The azure boy then shook his head, feeling a bit groggy as he spoke up,

" Riku? Are you--"

" I'm fine..."

This angered the boy a bit and he frowned,

" No, you're not. We need to stop, Riku. I think you need help..."

" I think you...need _help_, too... but I've never said it to your face, now have I?"

Tobi clenched his fist around Kae's shoulder, narrowing his eyes,

" Riku, quit joking around! I'm serious, now. Let's stop at that... WOW!! What is that place, anyway!?"

Riku glanced over to his right and frowned,

" Looks like an amusement park..."

Tobi then turned to Riku, a solemn expression on his face,

" We're stopping there."

" Who died and made you boss, huh...?"

" You if you don't get any help soon! Now stop over there and let's go find a doctor!!"

" Geez, kid... you don't have to go all siren on me, da$#..."

----

Excalibur landed at the front gate of the spectacular buliding, Tobi grunting as he hopped out. His left leg gave out and he knelt down, Kae still sleeping peacefully in his arms. He wondered idly if she'd ever wake up...

His tail twitched behind him and he glanced over at Riku, who was now staggering around the other side of the ship with their blue bag of supplies and supporting himself on his staff.

Tobi straightened, wincing as he pushed himself off the concrete,

" Riku, you're..."

His voice trailed off as he looked the silver-haired man over. There were many slits and holes in his cloak and slick, crimson blood stained the black duster as it leaked from each cut in the fabric.

Riku smirked weakily, limping through the broken, castle gates,

" It's just a flesh wound..."

Tobi then frowned and glanced up at the large structure Riku was heading to. They'd arrived at the ruins of a once magnificent castle. As many as 13, possibly more, cracked and broken blue towers rose from the castle's towering heights, a few still waving tiny, yellow, flags.

Tobi coughed, clearing his throat as he limped after Riku,

" Is anyone here, you think?"

" Who knows... let's just head inside and see if we can find somebody, okay, kid?"

" Sure! But for all we know, this place could be abandoned..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Riku and Tobi, there were _indeed_ still occupants inside the castle... one of which wasn't going to take kindly to the unannounced visitors.


	43. Chapter FortyTwo

Chapter Forty-Two

Riku groaned as he climbed up the many steps leading to the castle. Tobi had to stop, his shin beginning to throb angrily,

" Riku... how many more steps do these stupid stairs have!?"

Riku sighed, stopping to rest on one of the steps himself,

" I'm not sure...kid. It doesn't look like there's many left..."

He then sighed, clamping a hand on his ribs,

" If I wasn't...hurt so bad then climbing this mountain of a door step would be a h$#uvalot easier..."

Tobi snickered, wincing as the bullet in his side shifted,

" Yeah right! You're just loosing your touch and you know it, _old man_."

" You know, kid... if I could get up right now, I'd come down there and pound your skull into the pavement... but I won't."

" Like you could, anyway... _geezer_."

" You're walkin' a thin line there, kid, I'm warning you..."

" Hurry! I think they're coming in!!"

* * *

The shorter figure shouted, waddling hastily over to the doorway. The taller figure frowned, scratching his head,

" Do we really have to do this? I mean, they look pretty beat up and all...hyuck."

A loud knock on the door startled them both and the short one clamped a hand over his goofy partner's mouth,

" Shhhh! They'll hear you!"

" Oops, sorry...hmmm."

* * *

Riku winced again, pounding a few more times on the largely-oversized, blue doors,

" Hello? Is anybody in there?"

Again, nothing. This made the silver-haired man frown. He knew someone was in there... he could sense them.

Tobi groaned, shifting Kae in his arms,

" Maybe nobody's here, Riku. We should just go... Kae's gettin' kinda heavy."

Riku frowned, closing his eyes as a sharp pain snaked through him,

" No... somebody's here. I can feel it."

He pounded on the door again and yelled a bit louder, his lungs straining for the air to yell,

" Look, I know you're in there! You can't hide from me--"

" Oh, that's good. Threaten the poor people, Riku! That'll bring them out here!"

Riku ignored him and continued shouting,

" Look, we need a place to rest for awhile! I'm not saying that you have to let us live here forever, I'm only asking you for a few short hours and then we'll be out of your hair...or... fur...or... whatever you have on your body..."

Tobi snorted, shifting Kae again,

" Good one, Riku."

Riku was about to thwap the boy a good one, but the door urked suddenly, slowly creaking open to reveal a grand, dim-lit hall. Tobi blinked,

" You think it's okay to go in?"

Riku frowned, cautiously stepping inside and glancing around the hall,

" I suppose so... just keep on your guard, kid. I have a bad feeling about this..."

* * *

The short one hid behind a large suit of armour as their ''guests'' entered the room, his partner hiding inside one not too far away. He gasped, eyeing the group's ring leader,

" It's _him_ again..."

The tall one gasped in response, his eye catching the second figure in the group,

" A Heartless!"

A tiny creature mounting the knight's shoulder shushed him,

" Hush now... we don't want to endanger the life of the gir-- Oh my gosh! That looks like Princess Kairi!"

Riku paused, glancing behind them with his staff ready in one hand, the bag of supplies in the other,

" D'you hear that, kid?"

Tobi frowned, shifting Kae in his arms again,

" Hear what--"

" AFTER THEM, MEN!!"

Tobi gasped and glanced behind him, a strange white creature running at him with an equally strange wand,

" Holy Crap!! A GHOST!"

Riku rolled his eyes, dropping the supplies as he readied for a fight,

" It's not a _ghost_, kid! Hurry and take her someplace safe! I'll handle him!"

Tobi frowned, quickly jumping out of the way,

" But, Riku!"

" Just GO!!"

Tobi nodded, quickly disappating into a cloud of blue smoke. He then reappeared behind Riku and ran down the hall as quickly as possible. Riku became distracted by this and watched the boy as he ran for safety, the horrible memory of Hikari's departure returning to his mind...

_' " I love you, Riku..."'_

_' " Go, Hikari... GO!!"'_

He winced as a suit of armour suddenly rammed him in the side and he grunted, staggering to the nearest wall. Quickly, he raised the staff to defend himself from both enemies, but paused, raising an eyebrow as the armour staggered around blindly and tripped on it's own two feet, hitting the floor with a loud,

" YOWWWLL!"

The helmet flew off and skidded down the hall, Riku carefully kneeling down to see the knight's face,

" Hey... don't I know you from somewhere?"

He then gasped and quickly raised up as a loud yell, or more like a loud quack, rang throughout the hall as his other attacker came hurtling at him. The short-statured figure tripped over his partner and both groaned, a third voice squeaking up from the pile,

" Why are you here!? What do you want, you heartless fiend!?"

Riku clenched his fists tightly and lowered his head, frowning,

" I...I'm sorry. I didn't know there was still resentment being held for the things I've done... I'll just go get Tobi and we'll leave. I'm sorry to..have bothered you all."

He then winced and tightly grabbed hold of his ribs as he slowly walked down the hall, calling out for the blue boy,

" Tobi! Tob--"

The voice then cried out again, a tiny figure coming to him from the pile,

" And why don't you leave Princess Kairi on your way out, _huh_? I'm sure Sora wouldn't be too happy to know that--"

Riku turned frowning deeply,

" Whoa, whoa, whoa, Squeaky! Princess Kairi? What're are you talking abou--"

The tiny one shook a pint-sized fist at him and squealed out again, punching Riku in the boot. The punch seemed to hurt it more than it did him,

" Oh, don't play dumb with us, _Ansem_! We know all about your plans for the Princess--"

Riku raised an eyebrow, shaking his head at the three of them as he knelt down to the tiny figure,

" You guys... I'm _not_ Ansem--"

The tall figure glanced up at him, his short partner jumping up angrily,

" Then why does your Heartless toy have Kairi, you monster! Fire!!"

He shot a ball of flame at Riku's head and the silver-haired man gasped, quickly ducking in much pain.

The flame shot over his head and he heard a yelp behind him. Glancing back, he saw that Tobi had fallen back onto the floor, narrowly escaping the burst of fire that singed his crimson hair. Kae yelped, still asleep, however, and clung to the boy with in a deathgrip. Tobi comfortingly placed a hand on her back and pushed himself up, completely hysteric,

" WHAT THE He$# WAS THAT!?"

Riku smirked as the fire hit a torch and set of a domino effect with the torches nearby. A bright, orange light soon rushed down the hall, lighting every torch mounted in the dark corridor.

The group's attackers then gasped, suddenly revealed to be a strange looking dog and a loudmouth duck. The one so brave as to stand up to Riku was actually a tiny cricket, one that Riku recognized instantly,

" Hey... I remember you. You were with that puppet! What was it's name...?"

" _His_ name _is_ Pinocchio... and he's no longer a puppet for your information, he's a real boy, now."

The duck folded his arms and impatiently tapped it's foot on the white, marble floor,

" And you would be...?"

The dog scratched his head, chuckling as he patted his small partner on the back,

" Aw, shucks, Donald! Don't ya remember him? It's Riku! Hyuck!"

The two then gasped and exchanged glances, shouting in unison,

" RIKU!?"

Riku frowned, glancing back and forth between them as they suddenly turned and rushed him quickly,

" Whoa!!"

Next thing the man knew, he was staring at the ceiling, which was very high up and arched, he noted. Tobi raised a suspicious glare at the scene and gulped,

" Riku? Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Riku winced, tightly grasping his ribs,

" No...?"

Donald quacked happily, jumping up and down on top of the pain-racked man,

" C'mon, Goofy! We have to hurry! We've got to get him back to Sora before anymore time--"

Riku then grabbed the duck by the ankle and threw him to the floor, wheezing painfully,

" Thank...God!"

Donald then grew angry and began leaping up and down, quacking in rage,

" Why you!! You're still the same!! I don't know what Sora sees in you, anyway!!"

Goofy raised an eyebrow, noting Riku's expression of pain,

" Um... are you all right?"

Riku nodded and quickly pushed himself off the floor,

" I'm fine... It's just--"

They all jumped as Tobi let out a painful cry, Riku immediately on the alert,

" What!? What is it? What happened!?"

He noted the blood running down the boy's shirt and clenched his fists. It was a bullet wound...

The boy instantly shook his head, knowing what the older man was thinking,

" It's not that..."

Riku frowned, raising an eyebrow as the boy whimpered,

" Then what--?"

" She kneed me...!"

* * *

Tobi sighed in relief as he laid down on a nice, comfortable bed, smiling at the fact that Kae still refused to let him go. So now, he lay in bed with Kae... of course, he _wouldn't_ even think of trying anything with her, though! She'd simply take out a pistol and fire it straight into his chest if he even breathed on her wrong.

_' She'll probably kill me just for lying next to her...'_

Kae whimpered in her sleep, pulling herself closer to the boy. He smiled and blushed at this motion, gently sweeping her bangs from her eyes.

" Havin' fun, kid?"

He glanced up to see Riku in the doorway, smiling at him. Tobi snorted, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly,

" Hardly! Do you know how loud this girl snores!? It's like a friggin' air-raid siren in here!"

The boy then frowned, noticing that Riku was still breathing a bit funny,

" Riku? You all right?"

The silver-haired man nodded, wincing a bit as he leaned against the door frame,

" I'm fine... just a little sore."

" But... I thought that Donald--"

" No, _Donald_ didn't heal him! He's too stubborn to let _Donald_ heal him!"

The duck quacked, stomping up behind Riku. Riku groaned, sorely massaging his temples,

" Whoa! Lower the decibel there_, Foghorn_. You wanna wake the neighbours or somethin'?"

Donald let out an aggrivated squawk and raised his fists, irately bouncing up and down,

" WHY YOU!! I OUGHTA TEACH YOU SOME MANNERS!!"

Riku smirked, turning away from the duck with a laugh,

" And I oughta teach you how to speak right. Didn't anyone ever tell you to 'say it, not _spray_ it'?"

He then marched on down the hall and entered another room, slamming the door behind him.

Donald raised a fist at that door and then sighed, entering Tobi's room. The boy was frowning,

" What's gotten you so riled up? He was just making a joke--"

" He was _NOT_ making a joke! He was serious!"

This made Tobi laugh and he did so quietly as not to wake Kae,

" Serious? Serious about what?"

" Um... whatcha guys talkin' about? Hyuck!"

Donald turned to see Goofy standing behind him and sighed, folding his feathery arms,

" Nothing! Have you got Sora, yet?"

Tobi frowned as the canine shook his head,

" Not yet... it's like he just disappeared er somethin'..."

The boy then coughed, taking in a deep breath,

" Um... you guys? I think there's something you should know..."

The two animals turned to the boy with confused looks, both silent.

Tobi gulped, lowering his head as he squeezed Kae's shoulder,

" It's about the Keybearer..."


	44. Chapter FortyThree

Chapter Forty-Three

" I'm not sure if Riku had told you just yet... apparently, he hasn't."

The boy began, shifting Kae so that she'd be a little more comfortable. She still didn't look it, though. Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze back to Donald and Goofy. Both were now seated at the foot of the bed,

" You see, when the Keybearer was dropped off back at his home... I'm supposing that it was you who dropped him off, right?"

Both nodded. Tobi cleared his throat,

" Okay... so I'm supposing you know about the Princess, too?"

They nodded again, Donald becoming impatient with him,

" Is there a point you're trying to make?"

The crimson-haired boy nodded, Kae wiggling a little in her sleep. Her hand clenched his shirt tightly, then relaxed on his chest. He smiled a little, rubbing her arm to let her know he was still there. He then turned back to the two before him,

" Well, um... from what I heard, they had a kid together and--"

Goofy chuckled softly, smiling,

" Aww, shucks....hyuck."

Tobi smiled at this, shaking his head,

" Yeah, it may sound sweet, now... but, unfortunately, they never got the chance to raise her."

Donald raised an eyebrow, quacking lowly,

" What do you mean...?"

Taking in a deep breath, Tobi glanced down at Kae and ran his fingers along her cheek,

" I was afraid you'd ask that question. They never got a chance to raise her because... well... they're no longer around to do so. They were both...murdered...fourteen years ago."

* * *

Riku winced as he tied on the rest of the bandages and sighed, resting both hands on the edge of the pearly, white sink. Why did it always have to hurt so much? Shaking his head, he slowly headed out of the tiny bathroom and to his left toward the bedroom window. Night had fallen, he supposed, since he could no longer feel the sun's rays on his skin,

_' But I can't see it... just like I can't see the floor, certain walls, the ocean, or the internal compartments of a gummi ship..._ _I can't even see my own body!!'_

He then took in a deep breath and opened the window. Walking out onto the small balcony just beyond his room, he leaned his arms on the white railing and glanced up at the sky,

_' I can see worlds, though... that's a plus. They're golden... Hey, maybe gold is just the light of a world... kind of like Hikari was...'_

Sighing deeply, he lowered his head into his hands and bit his lip,

" Da$$#t..."

* * *

" I don't believe you."

Tobi's golden eyes widened as the canine's mostly upbeat personality suddenly shifted into a defensive-type mode. Donald quacked lowly, glancing up as Goofy suddenly stormed out of the room,

" Goofy?"

He then turned back to Tobi and frowned,

" Is it...true?"

Tobi nodded,

" You can ask Kae... that is, if she ever wakes up."

Donald raised an eyebrow, confused,

" Why?"

The boy smiled slightly, a few strands of blood-red hair falling in front of his eyes as he glanced down at her,

" Because... she's their daughter."

* * *

Riku sighed, a soft breeze fluttering through his bangs. Something about that breeze seemed familiar, like he'd felt it before,

_' No...That's crazy.'_

His eyes then widened as a familiar giggle filled his ears,

_' " What? You don't believe in magic?"'_

_----_

_The ebony-haired maiden folded her arms as he shrugged,_

_" Never seen it done. Why should I?"_

_Hikari pouted at him, trying hard not to smile,_

_" Well, aren't you a hypocrite!"_

_" What?"_

_She giggled again, turning away from him and heading into a clearing,_

_" Well, aren't your powers a form of magic?"_

_He shook his head, shivering a little as a snowflake disappeared down his shirt,_

_" That's different--"_

_" How so?"_

_She turned, her emerald eyes set on him critically. _

_The girl laughed a little as she spoke, numerous snowflakes visible in her raven hair,_

_" The darkness can do the same thing as my magic, can it not?"_

_He folded his arms, a snowflake falling onto his nose,_

_" Hikari..."_

_She giggled at this and spread her arms out to the either side as she lightly closed her eyes. Her pure-white cloak began to ruffle as a soft breeze drifted through the woods. She wore a dark blue gown beneathe it a lighter tone of the sky colour ruffling out at her wrists. _

_Shaking his head, he sighed,_

_" What're you--"_

_The winds picked up a little stronger and snow began to spin around her, halting his protest. He was silent, gaping up in awe as she was slowly lifted from the ground. Hikari spun for a short while in mid-air, high above his head._

_If he'd been thinking straight at that moment, he could've snuck a peek up her skirt... but one, he knew better, and two, he was in too much of a daze to sort things out correctly. He never knew such magic was possible..._

----

Riku opened his eyes at the sound of a yelp below him and he glanced down, surprised to see Goofy sitting on the floor rubbing his foot. He raised an eyebrow at this and frowned,

" Well... that's odd."

* * *

" Sora can't be gone..."

Goofy said, shaking his head as he sat on the concrete floor in the garden. He knew it was a bad idea to kick that statue, but... well, he did it anyway. He then folded his arms and glared at a random pillar, refusing to believe that boy's words,

" He can't be gone. He'd never give up a fight against nobody! Sora's the strongest person I know, and if he puts his mind to it, he can do anything! He wasn't beaten by no Heartless..."

" Hey, Goofy!"

The canine glanced up above him at one of the balconies to see Riku standing there. The man had his blindfold off and his paling eyes glinted in the soft moonlight,

" What're you doing down there?"

Goofy smiled, waving a hand,

" Good evenin', Riku! I'm jus' thinkin' to myself..."

Riku smiled. Goofy had always been the friendly one, well, other than Sora. The clumsy canine was the type of figure that would remind you of a shop keeper in a small town or something, the type that always had something friendly to say to you when you'd come into the store.

The silver-haired man shook his head,

" And I suppose thinking requires you to break a statue or two every now and then?"

Goofy smiled sheepishly, shrugging as he glanced over at the now headless statue of the King,

" Oops... hyuck."

* * *

" She's their WHAT!?"

Tobi smiled, glancing down at the 19-year-old girl in his arms,

" I thought you'd react that way..."

He then stiffened as Kae began to squirm, hoping that their conversation didn't wake her. It didn't. She mumbled something that sounded either like, " Daddy," or " Bananas," and kept right on dreaming.

Donald smiled tearfully at the girl, looking over her face,

" She looks just like her mother..."

Tobi smirked, brushing her hair from her face, yet again. If she'd stop shifting so much, he wouldn't have to constantly pull her bangs out of her eyes... not that he minded doing so, however...

* * *

" So, what's got you so riled up that you felt you had to decapitate the already late King, hm?"

Goofy straightened,

" You mean.. you--"

Riku smiled a little, shaking his head,

" I kind of figured. After spending nearly an entire year in Kingdom Hearts with him, you'd think he'd come and visit an old 'friend' like me. I also can't feel his energy. What exactly happened here, Goofy? Where is everyone?"

Goofy sighed, shaking his head,

" After me and Donald dropped Sora off at his home, we flew back here... and it looked like this. Not me or Donald or Jiminy knows what happened... but we did find the King..."

Riku frowned, noticing the slight shift in Goofy's character,

" Goofy?"

The canine almost seemed frightened as he spoke,

" We found him in several pieces... layin' all over the throne room..."

The silver-haired man's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as Goofy continued,

"...along with Miss Daisy, Queen Minnie, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie... they were all gone."

Riku clenched his fists, wincing a little as he shook his head,

" Goofy... I- I'm so sorry... I didn't know--"

" Riku. Tell me somethin'."

The blind-one straightened, raising an eyebrow at Goofy's downcast disposition,

" W-What?"

" Tell me... tell me Sora ain't gone, too. I really need to know he's okay."

* * *

Kae groaned, slowly opening her eyes to find herself in a nice, warm bed. She had never felt so comfortable before... never felt so safe. A low quacking soon reached her ears and she frowned, turning her head to the left to see a strange white blob at the edge of the bed. Once her vision cleared, she gasped to find that it was... a duck? The duck chuckled, smiling at her,

" Hello."

Startled by it's sudden speech, she let out a loud shriek and tried to back away from it, her eyes widening at the sudden press on her chest,

" What!? What happened!?"

She glanced down to see a single azure hand gripping her bosom tightly and she snarled, shoving Tobi off of the bed,

" PERVERT!!"

He flipped over and fell off the bed, falling onto his head with a yelp,

" I DIDN'T MEAN TO!! I'M SORRY!"

The girl hugged herself tightly, curling up into a ball as she glared down at him,

" Yeah right! What the He$# did you think you were doing in bed with me, anyway!? I'm not going to give up to you, so stop dreaming!!"

Tobi glared up at her, his fists clenched tightly at his sides,

" Like I'd want to sleep with _you_, anyway!! I think you're the one who's dreaming, _missy_!"

Donald's mouth hung open as he watched the two of them argue, his eyes twitching uncontrollably.

* * *

Riku coughed, sighing as he lowered his head,

" I... I'm afraid I can't do that, Goofy. I'm sorry."

Goofy's hopeful expression fell and a few tears welled in his eyes.

The blind-one sighed, shifting uncomfortably as he stepped toward the teary-eyed canine,

" Um... I'm not so good with this sort of thing so, uh... do you... need a hug?"

Goofy shot up from his seat and grabbed Riku, howling into his shoulder. Riku winced a bit, as the dog had shoved his nose right into one of his wounds, but didn't press that fact and tried his best to comfort the six-foot, crying pooch,

" Hey...at least he's in a better place, now... right?"


	45. Chapter FortyFour

Chapter Forty-Four

A few hours later, Kae managed to cool down and let Tobi explain what happened...

_----_

_" Look, Kae, I wasn't trying to rape you! I was just letting you sleep, okay? You've had a rough three days."_

_She raised an eyebrow, now standing by the door with her arms folded,_

_" Three days? What're you--?"_

_" You mean you don't remember?"_

_The frown on her face told him that she was clueless. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and sat down,_

_" Alright...three days ago, you were taken by the Unknowns to this strange mansion in a place called ' The Heart of Darkness'. Riku and I followed you there and while he went off and fought against... God knows who, I was fighting Jack off to get to you."_

_She bit her lip, nodding in muted anger,_

_" Then what happened?"_

_Tobi shifted uncomfortably, cracking his neck,_

_" Well.... I killed Jack, then burst through the door and ran up these stairs to see you lying in somesort of forcefield. I put my hand on it and it chilled me to the bone, but the cold didn't matter to me. All I could think about was getting to you and taking you away from that horrible place. So, I disregarded my own life and injuries and broke through the field to get to you."_

_Nodding again, she closed her eyes,_

_" And then what?"_

_" Well, when you started beating me and screaming that I wasn't real, I carried you away from there and I, uh.... I-I sang to you, until you feel asleep."_

_She placed a hand on her stomach and took in a deep breath, now nauseous. Spinning on her heel, she grabbed hold of the door knob and threw it open, briskly marching down the hall. She heard him call after her and sensed him enter the hall, but he didn't follow,_

_" Kae, wait!"_

----

She now sat on the highest balcony in the castle, the cool, night air lightly brushing against her cheeks. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and sighed, trying to shake off her nausea. A few tears of anger welled in her eyes and she shook her head, immediately wiping them away,

" No... I can't cry. That's unacceptable..."

" How? How is crying unacceptable, Kae?"

The girl jumped as Tobi's face was suddenly in front of her and she turned her gaze away as he climbed down from the roof,

" What're you doing here?"

" Don't you think I should be asking _you_ that--?"

" Don't start with me, Tobi."

The boy straightened at her sudden harsh attitude toward him and sighed,

" I'm sorry--"

" Sorry for what!? For... for saving my life? For nearly being killed by a drunken pirate in order to get to _me_, the weakest living thing in the universe!? For always being there when I've needed you and watching on silently as I treat you like dirt!? What do _you_ have to be sorry for!? _I'm_ the one who should be apologizing, not you! I've treated you like $#it when I know that you were just trying to do the right thing! I'm the one who should be saying sorry! I nearly got you killed... and all because I couldn't control my own $##$ing temper!"

Tobi sat down beside her as she exhaled, her bangs having fallen in her face again. He winced at her expression and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He couldn't stand to hear her beat herself up like this.

Kae laughed, shaking her head,

" Darien was right... it's my fault my parents are dead... it's my fault that you got hurt... it's my fault... it's always been my fault! My fault that Aki's gone... my fault that the islands are gone, too. I couldn't save anyone that I cared about because I was too weak and too helpless to do _anything_! Fitting how my name means _'blessing'_, isn't it?"

Tobi offered her a smile and placed a fingertip under her chin, leading her gaze back to him,

" I think it suits you just fine, Kae."

Her eyes were glistening with tears as she gazed up at him and he blinked, leaning a bit closer to her. She made no effort to move, so he lightly brushed his lips against hers and pulled her into a kiss.

* * *

Riku frowned, tossing and turning in a fitful sleep. His memories were faithfully haunting him, leading him back to the one of the worst nights of his life...

_----_

_The two were out in the woods that evening. Hikari had become extremely playful in this ninth month and he rarely wanted to let her outside, afraid she'd hurt herself. She did what she always did, though... slap him on the shoulder and call him a worry wart, then march outside in defiance. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, her rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed her neck,_

_" What're you thinking...?"_

_She smiled, both hands resting on her_ _swelled stomach_,

_" Oh... I don't know...just wondering what we should name this little guy once he enters our lives."_

_" How 'bout Bob?"_

_Hikari giggled at him, glancing over with a crazed expression,_

_" You're kidding, right?"_

_He gaped at her in shock,_

_" What!? You don't think **Bob** is a good name? I'm insulted!"_

_She grinned at him, shaking her head,_

_" No, you're not..."_

_" You don't know that! I could be..."_

_Hikari gazed up at him in confidence, smirking,_

_" But you're not..."_

_He then shook his head,_

_" No, I'm not... I **really** can't act, can I?"_

_She smiled, leaning back against him,_

_" No... but I love you anyway."_

_He kissed her again, making her squeal a little,_

_" Hey! Cut that out, now! Riku, I'm serious! Stop that!!"_

_Smirking at her, he spun her around and took hold of her hand,_

_" ' If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.'"_

_She shot him an incredoulous stare, laughing as he started to force her backwards,_

_" Riku? What're you--"_

_He smirked and pushed her back into a tree, cornering her,_

_" ' Then move not while my prayer's effect I take.'"_

_Hikari giggled as he leaned down, softly taking her lips in his. Her eyes were closed but for a moment, frowning as he suddenly pulled away,_

_" Riku? Riku, what's wrong?"_

_He was now frowning, glancing about the forest as a cold wind suddenly swept through the trees,_

_" Hikari, get back inside. Now."_

_Her emerald eyes glistened as he stepped back and forced his sword to appear. It was shaped like a wing and coloured red... like blood. He waved a hand to usher her back inside their tiny cottage, but she gasped to see that one of the cloaked men was now blocking the doorway._

_He glanced back at her and she frowned, her staff materializing in her grasp. His eyes widened at this,_

_" Hikari, no!"_

_Hikari frowned up at him, sighing,_

_" It's the only way... We'll have to take them on together."_

_He gulped, placing a hand on her wrist,_

_" But... what about the--"_

_" Shhhh," she began, placing a fingertip lightly on his lips,_

_" We'll be fine... I promise."_

_Hesitantly, he nodded and let go of her wrist..._

_--_

_They'd been fighting for about ten minutes now and all he could think about was Hikari's well being. He slashed the blade at this, ' Zero', character and snarled as the blonde-haired Unknown countered with a glowing, green, beam sabre. The youthful looking man then smirked,_

_" You know, it won't do you any good to have your girlfriend on the brain... she's gonna die anyway."_

_Snarling, the silver-haired twenty-year-old kicked the Unknown in the stomach,_

_" No... she won't!"_

_Zero fell to the ground, smirking up at him,_

_" Face it, buddy... you know it's just a matter of time. And well... with 'her condition' I think it'll be sooner than you think."_

_A sudden ear piercing scream rang throughout the forest and his sea-green eyes widened as he spun on his heel. All breath caught in his throat at what he saw. Hikari was holding her stomach as she staggered to a tree, blood freely running down her hand. Dropping his sword, he straightened and quickly ran to her,_

_" Hikari!!"_

_Hikari's attacker and Zero quickly disappeared, Zero's haunting laughter echoing throughout the forest. He knelt down in front of her, his eyes wide in terror,_

_" Hikari...?"_

_She winced and both of them glanced down, her hands now drenched in her own blood. Tears fell from her eyes as he picked her up and carried her inside,_

_" I'm sorry..."_

_-1 hour later-_

_He'd given her a potion, but it didn't seem to be working. She wasn't waking up. After a few more minutes of careful thought, he picked her up and rushed outside, hurrying to a small town not two miles from their place called ' Paradise Valley'. He rushed inside the local clinic, completely frantic,_

_" Somebody Help!!"_

_-3 hours later-_

_He was now sitting in the waiting room, trying to preoccupy himself for a few hours. Nothing was working. Everytime he tried to relax, he'd see the fear in her eyes, the blood in her hands... everytime he'd stop thinking about her, he'd think about--_

_" Riku Shimui?"_

_He immediately stood and headed over to the doctor standing there,_

_" Is she okay?"_

----

* * *

Kae pushed away from him, shooting him a near terrified glare,

" Don't ever do that again..."

Tobi's eyes widened and he lowered his head as she stood, his crimson bangs shadowing his face. He clenched his fists as the sound of a slamming door met his ears and remained silent, shooting daggers into the floor.

His vision became wobbly and warbled, a few tears leaking onto his cheeks,

" She'll always think of me that way....won't she?"

Turning his gaze to the skies, he took in a deep breath and gritted his teeth,

" Just like everybody else does..."

* * *

Donald quacked lowly with each step, a little downcast at the news of Sora's death. He knew Goofy hadn't taken it well, seeing as how the clumsy canine had decided to kick over one the King's statues. The small duck soon found himself in the same hall as his silver-haired enemy and frowned, folding his arms as he quickly paced by the room. Something made him stop, though. Donald frowned, creeping over toward the man's room. The door had been left open a crack, so he peeked inside to see what diabolical thing Riku was planning next.

What he saw frightened him. The moonlight shown brightly upon the pale-one's skin, giving off a soft, glowing effect around his body. He was whiter than a sheet and his breathing was laboured..._ painfully_ laboured. Numerous bandages were wrapped around his chest and arms, each and every one of them heavily bloodied. Donald gasped, hearing a soft, mumbled cry come from the man's lips,

" No..."

The duck raised an eyebrow and quietly waddled inside the room, frowning as he drew closer to the bed. Upon further inspection, Donald could see the tiny beads of sweat covering Riku's body and could hear the ragged wheeze in the man's every breath. The short-statured mallard quacked in sympathy as Riku let out another cry,

" No...she can't..."

This made the duck curious. Who was he dreaming about? Riku winced, rolling over onto his side as his nightmares continued. Muttering lowly, Donald hopped up next to the man and looked him over. If he didn't do something to help Riku and fast, the man would surely die...


	46. Chapter FortyFive

Chapter Forty-Five

Tobi shoved his hands in his pockets and paced at the Castle Gates. Why did everyone hate him? What did he ever do to deserve their hatred?

_' I was born looking like a &$ in' Heartless, that's what I did!'_

Sighing in aggrivation, he leaned back against the creaky gates and listened to the crickets chirp for a moment, startled as an unfamiliar voice suddenly drifted over to him,

" Having a bad day?"

The boy tensed as a fiery, red-haired man stepped out from the shadows of Excalibur. He wore the same thing the Unknowns did and had strange markings beneathe his brilliant, emerald eyes.

Tobi immediately was on the defensive,

" Who are you?"

The man raised his hands in innocence and smiled,

" Whoa! Easy tiger, I'm not here to hurt anybody!"

Tobi narrowed his eyes,

" How can I be sure?"

" Do I look like the kind of guy who would attack a run-down castle in the middle of the night?"

Tobi eased up a little, frowning,

" Well... no--"

The man folded his arms, shrugging,

" Then, what have you to worry about?"

Tobi shook his head and relaxed, leaning back against the gate again,

" Nothing.... now, buzz off."

The man frowned, scratching his cheek,

" Somethin' on your mind?"

" No."

Smirking, the stranger stepped right up to Tobi and glared him in the eyes,

" I think you're lying."

Tobi glanced up at the man, then turned his gaze back to a various plant,

" Why should I tell _you,_ anyway? What do you care?"

The red-head shrugged, turning away from the boy with a carefree air,

" Ah... I dunno. Just curious... Pain is something you don't keep bottled up inside."

He then turned on a heel and folded his arms, staring at the boy with a raised eyebrow,

" So? What's paining you?"

Tobi shrugged, shoving his hands back in his pockets,

" Well... there's this girl--"

" She isn't dead, is she?"

" NO!! But _I_ might as well be..."

The man sighed, shaking his head,

" That bad, huh? Man, girls can be downright b$#es, sometimes!"

" Yeah, tell me about it..."

The stranger sighed after a few moments, shaking his head,

" No... I think it's something else."

Tobi raised an eyebrow,

" Something else?"

" Troubling you... I think... oh, I don't know."

" What? What're you thinking?"

The man shrugged, leaning back against Excalibur,

" I think... don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're gay or nothin', but... I think... I think the problem is... a certain man in your life. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but--"

Tobi narrowed his eyes angrily,

" No. You're not wrong... there is a man. "

The red-head coughed, shifting uncomfortably,

" Does this mean... _are_ you gay?"

" NO!"

" Sorry! Sorry..."

Tobi then sighed, shaking his head,

" This guy, he... he's keeping things from me. I asked him one time, what my mother looked like, but all he said was that ' She's beautiful, you look just like her' and that was that. What is _that _supposed to mean, anyway!? Was she a demon or was I just a defect...?"

The man shrugged, cracking his neck,

" Who is this guy? Your father or somethin'?"

Tobi shook his head, snorting,

" No, thank God! He found me when I was a baby in my mother's arms... she died, by the way."

The red-haired stranger nodded in understanding,

" Ah, I see... and this guy? He got a name to him?"

" Yeah... it's Riku."

Tobi frowned upon glancing up to see that the guy was glaring daggers into the floor and cursing under his breath,

" Hey, what is it? What's wrong?"

The stranger clenched his fists tightly, turning his gaze up to the boy,

" Riku, huh? Silver hair? Blind? That Riku?"

The azure boy nodded slowly and raised an eyebrow,

" Yeah...? Why? You know him?"

The stranger nodded, hissing venemously,

" You could say that."

* * *

Kae leaned back against the door of her room and pressed her fingers to her lips, blinking in shock,

_' Did he just....? Did he just...kiss me?'_

She then stepped over to her the coat rack and hung her trench on it, then padded over to the vanity beside the bed. A mirror showed the girl her reflection and she cringed. Her hair was a little ratty, her face and arms were covered in dirt, and her clothes were tattered, torn, and stained with blood.

Her top, which laced up the front and showed quite a bit of skin now that she'd grown into it, was soiled and was a beige in colour, rather than white. Her shorts, which she was thankful Tobi had repaired, were gray in spots from wear and tear. Even her boots were getting ratty with use. As she studied her face in the mirror, she found herself to be...well... unattractive. Her cheeks were smudged with dirt, she no longer wore make-up due to the fact that she didn't have any _to_ wear, and there were terrible, dark circles under her eyes, making her appear to be _older_ than she really was.

Sighing deeply, she unfastened her holsters and set them down on the vanity, then flopped onto the bed,

" That baka..."

* * *

Donald sighed, a few things that Tobi had told him coming back to him. Kae had just stormed out of the room and the boy was about to leave as he stopped him,

_' " Hey! Exactly what kind of a relation do the two of you have with that silver-haired freak, anyway?"'_

_--A few hours ago--_

_Tobi gaped at him in shock, then pouted at him,_

_" Don't call him that! Riku's not a freak!"_

_The boy reminded him so much of Sora that it was nearly frightening! It was almost like the Keybearer was inhabiting Tobi's body..._

_" Well, then what should I call him!?"_

_" Call him Riku. That's his name."_

_Frowning again, the duck cleared his throat,_

_" So, what kind of a relation do you have with him?"_

_Tobi sighed, laying back on the bed with his hands securely behind his head,_

_" Well... he found me as a baby... my mother was dead, and I'm supposing in her last moments, she asked Riku to take care of me. I mean, why else would he willingly take care of a blue, demon baby, right? Well, anyway, he raised me with these other two people, Barret and Tifa... Tifa died when I was five, though. Riku tried to save her, but he was just too late, you know. I'd always hoped that they'd get together... he also taught me how to fight and how to talk to girls... never taught me how to swim, though. I kinda quit after the kids called me a 'Heartless'."_

_" He also told me that I didn't have to go to school if I didn't want to, 'cause the kids would always tease and pick on me. Most people were afraid of me, but he wasn't... and I still don't know why. He'd alway comfort me when I had a bad dream or when a girl I liked would kick me to the curb... he gave me my first beer when I was 15! I got real sick, though, so he never gave me anymore..."_

_The duck frowned, tapping his foot in annoyance,_

_" Did he ever tell you about his past?"_

_Tobi shook his head,_

_" No... no, he said... he said he didn't want to remember it. Either that, or he just stays quiet with a sad look on his face and walks away. It's aggrivating how much stuff he hides from me. He's the closest thing to a father that I've ever had..."_

----

Donald jumped suddenly as Riku groaned in pain, every single muscle in his body tensing up. Sighing sadly, Donald called on Violetta and took in a deep breath. He held it over Riku's body and closed his eyes,

" Curaga."

* * *

The stranger cursed, pounding his fist back against the Excalibur. Tobi remained silent, waiting for the man to explain.

Clearing his throat, the red-head sighed,

" You're _friend_.... killed the only person I ever I.D-ed with... killed her in cold-blood."

The blue boy's golden eyes widened, frowning in shock,

" What...?"

The stranger nodded, trying to keep himself in check,

" Her name was Vixen. She was the only friend I've ever had... if you could even call her a friend. I found her in an abandoned hallway, her head completely severed from the rest of her body."

Tobi shook his head,

" No... that can't be--"

" Oh, it is, my friend! And come to think of it, now that you say his name is Riku, I've heard Ansem speak of him before."

Tobi then tensed, realizing exactly where this man had come from,

" So, you _do_ work for them!"

The man nodded, leaning back against Excalibur as Tobi aquired his fighting stance,

" Yes... but don't worry, I'm not here as a threat. I needed to clear my head, that's all."

" How am I supposed to believe that, huh?"

Closing his eyes, the man sighed,

" I don't expect you to--"

" Who are you, anyway?"

The red-head opened his eyes again and glared right at Tobi, sending a chill down the boy's spine,

" My name... is Axel. And if you wish to know about you're so-called _friend_... I can tell you anything you want."

* * *

Riku groaned, carefully stirring as not to hurt himself further. He could feel the sun shining in on his face and he yawned, surprised to find that when he sat up, he felt no pain whatsoever. Carefully unwrapping his bandages, he pressed a hand gently to his stomach and frowned. The wound was gone... completely! No trace of it at all! He then glanced in the direction of the sun's heat, smiling,

" The duck..."

* * *

Kae sighed as she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped tightly to her body. Her hair hung in strings around her face and she sighed slightly as she took a look in the mirror. Most of the dark streaks caused by the terrible smoke and pollution of Destiny Islands were nearly gone, and she looked a little better after having had a good night's sleep. Still, she refused to think of herself as attractive and contemplated a moment as to why Tobi would want to _kiss_ her, of all things.

She sat down in a chair before the vanity and gave herself a hard look in the mirror. Brushing her nose-length bangs from her eyes, she was surprised to find that white was a good colour on her... despite the fact that it was just a towel. Tobi's kiss wafted back into her thoughts and she blushed a little, shaking her head as she explored the vanity's drawers,

" No! He was just being the idiot he always is... he doesn't care for you like that. He's egotistical, self-centered, irrational, perverted..."

_' " Don't forget.....charming...in a non-aptitude sort of way...."'_

Blushing again, she cursed and slammed the bottom drawer to her left shut,

" Da$$#t! That BAKA!!!"

* * *

Riku slowly walked into the study and sighed. It was true. The duck had completely healed him. He frowned as a loud snoring caught his hearing and followed the sound around the King's desk to find the aforementioned mallard slumped against the left set of drawers, completely worn out. Smiling slightly, the silver-haired one shook his head and kneeled down, speaking softly as to gently wake him,

" Donald... _Donald_."

The duck continued to snore and Riku groaned, rolling his eyes,

" Donald?"

Another snore. An evil smirk then crossed the blind one's face and he cleared his throat. Then with both hands he suddenly grabbed the duck and shook him violently with a loud scream,

" HEARTLESS!!"

Both of Donald's eyes widened and he quacked loudly, clocking Riku in the jaw as he flew into a fighting position,

" WHERE!? _WHERE_!?"

He then began hearing the sound of mocking laughter come from a black lump beside him. As sleep cleared itself from his vision, he noted that the lump had silver hair and was shuddering violently,

" Oh, it's _you_..."

Riku sat up and coughed, rubbing his jaw sorely,

" Ye-ah. It's _me..._"

Donald groaned and glared at him, folding his feathery arms as Riku continued to mock him,

" Gd, that was great... you should have seen the look on your face! Ooh!! Heartless!!"

" It wasn't funny and you know it!"

" Oh, c'mon, _duckie_--"

" Don't ever call me that again! And it was NOT funny, and you know it!"

" Oh, whatever..."

* * *

Kae sighed as she headed down the front steps and met up with Riku at the bottom by Excalibur. She raised an eyebrow, inwardly disappointed at his appearence,

" Well, don't _you_ look better."

Riku noted the hidden tones in her voice and offered a smile anyway,

" Yeah... I do, don't I?"

She then snorted and started for the ship, Riku frowning as he watched her climb inside. He then turned to Donald and Goofy and sighed,

" Well, looks like this is it. It was... nice... I suppose."

Goofy offered a sad smile, still deeply upset by the news of Sora's passing,

" It was nice seein' ya, Riku. Wadn't it, Donald?"

The canine then elbowed the duck lightly in the side to kick start him. Donald coughed,

" Yeah, right."

" Donald."

The duck glared up at the silver-haired man and snorted,

" What?"

Riku offered him a smile and sighed,

" Thanks.... for helping me out. It means a lo--"

" I didn't do it for _you..._"

The blind-one slumped, his eyebrow twitching spasmodically. Donald folded his arms,

" I did it for Sora.... and that little 'Heartless' friend of yours--"

" Don't call him that."

Donald happened to glance up to see Riku's vicious, blindfolded glare upon him, both fists clenched at his sides,

" He isn't a Heartless and he can't help the way he looks, so lay off."

The duck gulped, trying to keep a semi-calm demeanor. It was almost like Riku had gone into a paternal defense of the boy,

" Whatever..."

Riku then straightened and frowned, unable to sense the boy's energy,

" Where _is_ that kid, anyway?"

* * *

A set of golden eyes glared menacingly out a crystalline window of a dark fortress. The fortress was compiled entirely of dark crystals and rain streaked down it's smooth surfaces. A flicker of lightning lit up his cat-like irises from behind curtains of crimson hair. A blue-skinned fist clenched at it's owner's side and he snarled, his tail twitching venomously behind him,

" He lied.... all these years. He's been lying to me the whole time."


	47. Chapter FortySix

Chapter Forty-Six

Riku frowned, as he traced back through the castle,

" Kid? Hey, kid, where are you?"

As he entered the courtyard, a sudden chilling wind passed through him and he shivered, stiffening at the sound of an unfamiliar voice,

" He isn't here, _Riku_..."

Riku spun on his heel, surprised to find a fiery-haired Unknown standing there. He clenched his fists,

" Who are you!? What have you done with him!?"

The Unknown simply smirked, shaking his head,

" Oh, me? I haven't done anything with him."

Riku's eyes narrowed to vicious slits behind his blindfold,

" Then where is he?"

Again, the Unknown smirked, folding his arms as he chuckled. Riku hissed at him, unsheathing his staff in preparation for a fight,

" What's so funny?"

The red-head sighed and rubbed his chin, still grinning at Riku,

" You have no idea, do you?"

" Idea? About what?"

This time, the younger man let out a harsh laugh and walked right passed Riku mockingly,

" I was somewhat surprised to find this _kid_ of yours standing in the grand hall of _Castello Nemesi..._ Castle Nemesis."

Riku snorted,

" I think it sounded better in Italian..."

The younger's eye twitched at this and he growled,

" Well, old man... if you hate the name so much, _you_ try naming it!"

" Oh, okay. Here, let's see... how about ' where the he$# is Tobi'!?"

" No... no, I'm not feeling that name..."

The Nobody then glaned down to see the end of a staff pointed directly at his adam's apple,

" Listen, punk. I'm not in the mood for any of your stupid games! Now tell me where the kid is..."

Riku pressed the cold steel against the red-haired Unknown's throat with a satisfied smirk,

" That is, unless you want to sound like a pretty little girl for the rest of your days."

The boy simply smirked back at the man,

" I already told you. He's at Nemesis."

The silver-haired man snarled, shoving the end of the staff harder into his enemy's throat,

" Why?"

This question made the Unknown grin sickeningly,

" 'I'm not afraid of the darkness'."

Riku straightened, the staff clattering to the concrete as the stranger's chuckling filled his ears. He now felt as though he'd been kicked in the gut and all of the breath in his body had been sucked away. The red head's presence was soon gone as he disappeared through a glowing red portal, his chuckle lingering in the courtyard. Riku clenched his fists and cursed, scooping up his staff,

" Da$$#t..."

He quickly rushed back to the Gummi Ship.

* * *

Kae groaned, her arms folded as she leaned back against Excalibur,

" God... How long is this gonna take?"

Donald tapped his foot impatiently and sighed,

" My thoughts exactly..."

The auburn-haired girl glanced up to see that Goofy was staring at her with some sort of...creepy... smile on his face and she shifted uncomfortably,

" What? What are you staring at?"

Goofy 'hyucked', shaking his head,

" Nothin' really... jes' noticin' how much you look like yer daddy, that's all--"

Kae's eyes widened and she gasped,

" My father? You knew my father?"

Goofy raised an eyebrow and frowned,

" Didn't anybody tell you? We travelled with him fer four straight years of our lives, looking fer the King and--"

Suddenly, he was stopped by a flash of black and silver as Riku rushed passed and climbed aboard Excalibur,

" Kae! Get in, hurry up!"

The girl frowned, glancing back and forth between the two animals and her most loathèd enemy,

" Why!? What's going--"

" It's Tobi. He's in danger."

Kae pouted angrily and with much hesitation, ran around to the otherside of the ship and climbed in. Donald and Goofy waved goodbye as the ship flew off, Kae gazing back at them as the two grew smaller and smaller. She then growled and spun to face Riku,

" What the He$# is your problem, huh!? Can't that blue-skinned, reprobate wait--"

" NO, Kae... He can't!"

Her curiousity got the best of her and she frowned up at him, her sapphire eyes glittering in the light of the stars,

" What? Why not--"

" Because," Riku said nervously, his hands tightly clenched on the controls,

" The Nobody have him."

_

* * *

_

_" What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?"_

_" For that instant it was.....However, you can become stronger. You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger..."_

_" What should I do?"_

_" It's really quite simple. Open yourself to darkness... that is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself..."_

The golden-eyed boy narrowed his eyes to deadly slits as the flickering image disappated from the wall, returning the room to it's previous, dim-lit state. His tail whipped behind him venemously, as if it were a snake prepared to strike it's prey. A comforting voice drifted in from behind him,

" Hey."

He didn't even bother to turn around, knowing that the voice belonged to non other than Axel,

" Look.... I'm sorry about your old man--"

" He is _NOT_ my old man. We're not even related."

The fiery, red-head shrugged, folding his arms,

" Sorry again, then..."

Tobi hissed,

" Quit saying that. Quit saying that you're sorry. _He_ used to say it all the time..."

Axel cringed, sighing,

" Oh... sorr-- I mean... oops."

" _He_ used to say _that_, too."

" Oh, don't be so hard on Axel, kiddo. He _did _show you the truth, afterall..."

A girl dressed completely in black stepped out from the shadows, smirking seductively at the boy with glossy, red lips. Her hair was a bright shade of pink, a deep contrast to her silky, black dress and heels. She stepped up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering softly in his ear,

" And besides.... you never needed that jerk-off anyway. He never let you do anything at all... but uh... _I'll _let you do anything you like..."

She ran her hands around his front and down his chest toward his pants. Tobi stiffened and broke away from the hormonal girl,

" Back off, Wicked Lady... I'm not in the mood..."

She folded her arms, her strange, almond-like pigtails bouncing as she tilted her head in disappointment,

" You never are..."

Axel placed a hand on her shoulder as the boy disappeared and growled,

" Why do you insist on doing that? Remember, he's here for one thing and one thing only!"

Wicked Lady rolled her eyes,

" Yeah, yeah, I know! To kill that old ba$t#$d for us, right. But that doesn't mean _I_ can't have a little _fun_, with him... if you know what I mean."

Axel narrowed his eyes and shook his head as he headed after their newest member,

" You're disgusting."

" As are you..."

* * *

Riku gritted his teeth, trying desperately to keep his mind clear of horrible thoughts. It wasn't doing any good, however, the thoughts still came.

_' What if they've killed him already? What..what if Ansem gets to him and does to him... what he did to me?'_

The silver-haired man shook his head,

_' No! I can't think that way! Tobi's much stronger than that... but, what if he isn't? I _did_ raise him after all... maybe he has wound up just like me... oh, that's great! Now I've failed his mother, too! How many more times do I have to fail until I get what I want? And more importantly... just what the he$#_ do _I want, anyway? Lord, I pray he's still alive...'_

Kae glanced over at Riku and frowned, sighing,

" So, which world do you think he's in?"

Riku frowned, bowing his head

" I... I'm not sure..."

Kae's eyes widened and she nearly screamed,

" WHAT!? Oh, that's great! That's just great, Riku! Tobi needs us and we don't even know where the he$# he is!!"

" Look, I'm sorry, okay! I don't mean to step on your Highness's toes all of the time! Excuse me if I don't bow!"

Kae immediately narrowed her eyes and snarled at him,

" You son of a --"

" Don't you dare even say what I know you were going to say. My mother was a kind and caring woman and I loved her very much. Don't you dare abase her name just because you're angry with me. You think just because you brought yourself up through tough times it means you can trample all over what others have been through in their lives. I have been through utter H$# to get to where I am today, so don't even start in with your incessant whining, right now. I'm not in the mood for it and I'll never _be_ in the mood for it, so bite your tongue. 'Bout time somebody taught you some manners, anyway."

Kae was taken aback by Riku's sudden outburst, but was quick to retort with one of her own,

" Yeah? Well, I've been through He$#, too, you know... a He$# _you _caused."

" What?"

" Yeah, you heard me... you killed my parents, you slimy ba$t#$d..."

Riku gritted his teeth and sucked in an angry breath as she continued,

" Yeah, don't try and deny it. I know it was you... it was _you,_ who came to the islands with his Heartless in toe, it was _you,_ who drove my father into using that 'Keyblade' one final time, it was _you, _who ordered the Heartless to attack my family! _Your_ Heartless ripped out my father's heart and slit my mother's throat so deeply that her head was nearly severed from her shoulders completely! It was all your doing! And it's all your fault that Tobi's gone, too! He probably figured out what you did and left you because he can't stand the sight of you. The smell of the blood on your hands probably makes him sick--"

" SHUT UP!"

Riku snapped as he lunged at her and grabbed her arm, twisting it in so much of a rage that her bones cracked easily.

Kae winced and her eyes widened in fear as a green glow rounded Riku's body,

" How dare YOU say I had ANYTHING to do with your parents' murders! I would never dream of doing _anything_ to hurt them, NEVER!! They were the only frie--"

Kae's eyes began to tear up and she let out a wavy breath as he stopped short and let her go. She silently began to cry and tried to rub the pain from her arm.

Riku hissed, utterly pissed off,

" Nevermind. You know a heal spell, use it."

She sniffled and gently unholstered her right pistol, carefully placing it on her crumpled arm,

" H...He..Heal."

It glowed softly and her bones painfully moved beneathe her skin, righting themselves. The girl sniffled again as she moved the injured arm. It was no longer broken, but it hurt severely. Kae tried to hold back her tears, but found that she couldn't and let them out in occasional heaves as she gazed out at the stars.

* * *

Tobi hissed as he remembered every lie Riku had made. Well, now he knew the truth. Riku was nothing but a deceitful, lying, rotten, hypocrite, who had just happened to come by and take him from his mother. More than likely with all of this new information, he was almost certain that Riku had done her in as well...

" And while we're going down this road, he's probably the one that killed my father, too."

Tobi then frowned. He'd never asked much about his father... usually it was just his mother he was concerned with!

_' Maybe that's because I was content with Riku raising me...'_

And then the Keybearer... Riku stooped so low as to betraying his best friend, his _brother_, and forced the boy to kill himself in order to save the only girl he ever truly loved! What kind of whacked out $# was that!? All for power and greed... no wonder Riku would always change the subject when his past came up. And then those portals... he'd used them then to keep that Kairi girl _away_ from the Keybearer! The more that Tobi learned about Riku, the more the boy began to hate his former mentor...

* * *

They'd both been silent for about an hour when Riku finally murmured something. It sounded like an apology, but Kae would never take it. Another murmur from Riku and she frowned, feeling the ship shudder,

" What the He$# was that?"

Riku cursed, gritting his teeth,

" Da$$#t... something's pulling us toward that world over there...."

Another shudder and Riku yelped, his skin beginning to burn. The controls had short-circuited and left terrible burns on his hands that seared straight through his gloves. Kae gasped and instinctively used a heal spell on him, then cursed inwardly for helping him. Riku muttered thanks, but was shortly interrupted as the ship began to descend fast on that cursed world.

It sucked them in and Excalibur went into a spiral, sputtering and spitting out of control. Kae's eyes widened as they hit the atmosphere and shards of the ship began to peel off in Gummi sheets. Riku cursed using all of his strength to try and right the stupid thing,

" C'mon..... C'mon...."

Kae began to feel extremely hot and the flashing red and white that lit up the cockpit was beginning to seem a tad unfriendly.

She then gasped as a shard of the ship flung right toward her and shattered the windshield. The girl screamed, unable to move away fast enough as it pierced through her middle. Her vision began swimming in red and she glanced over at Riku just in time to see his head be knocked off by a speeding Gummi block.

" Kae!"

----

The girl's eyes shot open and she pressed herself back against the seat, panting heavily. Riku slowly retracted his hand from her shoulder and frowned,

" Are you all right?"

She glared over at him with wide eyes, her hair extremely frazzled,

" I just saw your head be knocked off by a Gummi block and now you're asking if I'm all right?"

Riku raised an eyebrow, a bit nervous by her tone,

" You _do_ know that you were just having a nightmare, right?"

Kae took in a deep breath and softly touched her middle, sighing in relief,

" Oh..."

The ship then sputtered and she stiffened, turning to Riku,

" What was that?"

Riku frowned, cursing,

" I'm not sure... I think that we may be caught in that world's gravitational pull or something...."

Her eyes immediately widened and she gripped the arms of the seat,

" You've killed us both."

" What?"

" In my dream, the ship was getting sucked in by a world and we died in the atmosphere."

Riku smirked,

" So, I suppose that's why you say my head was knocked off, huh?"

" Pretty much."

The ship began to shudder violently and Riku let out a yelp, quickly pulling his hands away from the controls. He could feel his skin burning and blood seeped from what felt like gashes on his hands. Kae gasped and quickly healed him, then let out another fearful cry,

" This is exactly what happened in my dream! Riku, do something!!"

Riku shook off his hands and took in a deep breath,

" I'll try..."

He tightly clenched the controls and gritted his teeth, the gashes immediately engraved in his hands again. Pain shot through his arms and he sucked in a breath as his palms began to throb. Kae held onto her seat tightly, her eyes nearing the size of a couple frisbees,

" Riku..."

She whispered softly as they entered the atmosphere. The Gummi blocks stripped themselves in sheets and dissolved, the red and white lights not at all comforting her. Riku turned to the frightened child and frowned, lowering his head as she continued,

" We're gonna die... aren't we?"


	48. Chapter FortySeven

Chapter Forty-Seven

" We're gonna die, aren't we? Riku?"

Riku shook his head, pulling back as hard as he could on the controls,

" No... I won't let that happen...."

Kae gasped as her dream began to unfold. The shard of Gummi meant for her was flapping violently, ready to break off at any moment. Riku noticed it two and bit his lip as it finally did break. It flung toward the window and he cursed, Kae letting out a terrified scream.

The scream reminded him so much of _her_...

Quickly, he dove and shoved Kae over, the shard crashing through the windshield seconds later. It scraped the cloth off of his back and he cursed, warm liquid soon flowing lightly from his back. He pulled up a little and smiled at the frightened girl,

" You all right?"

Another shatter startled them both and they glanced over at the pilot's seat to see a Gummi block sail through and knock the head rest off the pilot's seat.

Riku's eyes widened and he shot his gaze back on Kae, his eyes wide behind the blindfold,

" How the He$#--"

" Riku!"

He then noticed the heat was beginning to rise and that his skin was burning. Kae was taking deep breaths, nearly hyperventilating as each part of her nightmare became reality.

All seemed lost and both were certain that this was it, that everything was done for... that was until...

* * *

A girl with raven-coloured hair swept the porch of a temple, frowning as a brilliant streak flashed across the sky, 

" A shooting star? In the daytime? How strange..."

A few other girls, a tall brunette with a ponytail and a blonde with hair to her waist came up the steps, laughing at each others jokes. The one with the broom frowned,

" Hey, did you guys just see that flash in the sky?"

The brunette frowned, scratching her head as she turned to where the raven-haired one was pointing,

" What flash?"

The blonde glanced up in that direction two,

" Yeah, what flash, Raye?"

* * *

Riku groaned as a soft voice filled his ears muttering only one word, 

" Heal."

As he opened his eyes, he winced a reached up for his blindfold. It was gone. Grunting, he pushed himself off of the leaf-covered ground and glanced around the place, confused,

" What ha--"

A sharp pain shot through his head and he instantly remembered, rubbing his temple sorely. As he stood, his coat began to fall off of him and he shivered. Wherever he was, it was freezing. He closed his eyes and straightened, glancing about in worry,

" Kae?"

Sighing slightly, he massaged his chest sorely and staggered blindly toward the main roads... or at least, what he _hoped_ were the main roads.

A young woman with shoulder-length ebony hair smiled, her emerald eyes glowing as she watched him walk away,

_" There you are..."_

Then with a tiny giggle, the woman in white turned and walked away, disappearing in the mist of the park.

* * *

A young girl with hair so dark it looked navy sat typing at her computer. Sighing slightly, she stood and stretched her limbs, a lean, black and white cat rubbing at her legs. Leaning down, she scratched it behind the ears and smiled, 

" Good kitty."

She tucked her chin-length locks behind her ears and started over to the fridge, but something caught her eye. There was a girl lying on the balcony just outside of her window and she gasped, rushing over quickly,

" Oh my gosh!"

Throwing open the windows, she kneeled down beside the girl and raised an eyebrow. The girl's clothes seemed to be fried, but the girl herself was perfectly fine. Quickly, she grabbed the girl by the arms and dragged her in out of the winter air. She had to be freezing with the clothes _she_ was wearing!

* * *

" Well, it looks as though our _friends_ have made quite an entrance... wouldn't you say, Tobi?" 

Tobi straightened and ran to the window as the streak of smoke began to dissipate,

" Kae! Where is she!? Is she o-- I mean... screw _her_! Maybe she and Riku both kicked the bucket in that stupid ship..."

Axel smirked, patting the boy on the back,

" That's the way, little man. Destroy all of the feelings you previously had for this girl, because she's just as bad as Riku, remember? She knew what he was trying to do in the first place.... and she never once told you _anything_. What kind of _friend_ would do that to a friend, eh?"

Tobi folded his arms and leaned against the crystal wall, sighing as Axel walked away,

" Yeah... what kind of friend?"

* * *

Riku groaned as he made his way down the street. Many passersby shoved into him and they cursed each time he'd accidently bump into them. He had to use all of his necessary energy to be able to use his special sight without the blindfold and the more and more he used it, the more tired he became. Finally, he turned down an alleyway to rest a while and sighed, shaking his head, 

" Man, this place is worse than Midgar!"

The sound of a woman's voice brought him to attention suddenly, and he followed it through the alleyway to another busy street,

_" Let's take a look at the weather. The forecast for today is partially cloudy with a chance of light snowfall..."_

Riku groaned, shivering as a strong wind swept passed him,

" Must be winter here, then..."

He followed the voice to a nearby TV store and stopped in front of what felt like the window, just listening to the weather forecast.

* * *

A girl with fairly-long, blonde hair that was tied up in strange pigtails, shivered, her teeth chattering in the cold, 

" Brrrr! It's freezing out here!"

" Well, of course! What did you expect? Leaving the house in clothes like that..."

The girl was wearing a pleated, brown, mini-skirt and a white tank top. A light denim jean jacket was worn over the tank top and white leg warmers clung to her shins, overlapping her small, black shoes. She also wore a baby-blue scarf around her neck.

A tiny black cat at her side received a sour look from the girl and the blonde growled,

" Oohh, who asked _you_, anyway? Hmm?"

The girl suddenly gasped, receiving an odd look from the cat,

" What? What is it, Serena?"

This was an odd cat, indeed. The blonde, Serena, frowned as she paused in the middle of the walk and gasped,

" It can't be..."

The girl then broke into a run, her cat barely able to keep up,

" Serena!"

A bead of sweat ran down Serena's cheek, her eyebrows at a point on her forehead,

_' It can't be him... it just can't be...'_

* * *

Kae groaned softly, slowly opening her eyes to find herself staring at a white ceiling. A few seconds later, her hearing returned and she could identify the sound of soft beeping. Her head throbbed painfully and she took a glance around the room. It looked as though she was in a hospital room. There was a girl sitting beside her with what looked like navy-blue hair. The girl looked to be about 14 or 15-years-old, and she was quietly reading a book. 

Kae frowned and coughed a bit, the girl immediately snapping to attention,

" Oh! You're awake."

She quickly set her book down and folded her hands on her lap,

" Are you all right?"

The auburn-haired girl lifted a hand and massaged her aching eyes, groaning,

" What happened?"

" Well," the girl began, tapping her index finger to her cheek,

" You were lying on the balcony outside of my window. I called an ambulance when you wouldn't wake up and now you're here. Are you feeling better?"

Kae opened her eyes and sighed. The events of the Gummi Ship's final moments were a bit hazy, but she did remember hearing a voice say, ' Don't be afraid' and then a comforting, white light enveloped everything. That was all, however...

She then frowned,

" Who are you?"

The girl beside her gasped, offering her an apologetic smile,

" Oh my gosh! That completely slipped my mind! My name is Amy. It's nice to meet you...?"

" Kae," Kae replied shortly as she pushed up off the bed and headed toward the door,

" Now, when can I get out of here?"

Amy gasped, quickly hurrying to her and ushering her back to bed,

" You shouldn't be up and about, right now, Miss Kae. You need your rest--"

" Look, I don't _need_ anything, okay!? Now, get me out of here."

Amy was taken aback by the girl's outburst, but she remained silent and nodded solemnly,

" Okay."

The navy-haired girl hurried out of the room and Kae slammed the door behind her. Folding her arms, she leaned back and glanced down at herself. She was wearing one of those hideous, polka-dotted, hospital gowns.

The girl cursed and stomped back over to the bed, where she sat down and sighed.

_' " You all right?"'_

_' " We're gonna die, aren't we?"'_

_' " I won't let that happen..."'_

* * *

A delicate, feminine hand wrapped around him from behind, lightly tracing the left side of his face, 

" You still moping over that baffoon?"

Tobi hissed, grabbing the girl's wrist with his tail and plucking it off him forcefully,

" Back off, Wicked Lady."

Wicked Lady folded her arms and snorted,

" Look, I'm sick of your attitude, kid! If you're so mad at that geezer, you should do him in!"

Tobi turned his head sharply at her and narrowed his eyes,

" What?"

The pink-haired woman smirked, her strange vocals echoing throughout the halls,

" If you're so mad at him, get your revenge. Do him in, kiddo."

Tobi frowned, thinking quietly for a moment as he rubbed his chin,

" Do him... in? Do you mean... kill him...?"

The girl shurgged, her unearthly voice chilling him to the bone,

" That's _exactly_ what I mean."

Tobi's eyes widened and he took in a deep breath, shaking his head,

" No.... no, there's no way I could--"

" Why not?"

Axel interjected, stepping into the light,

" He's lied to you your entire life, he's hurt you, _betrayed _you.... what's holding you back? You've got every right to exact revenge on him... and if that means _kill_ the poor ba$t#$d, then so be it."

Tobi gulped, his crimson bangs falling messily before his eyes,

" Yeah, but... but Riku raised me! He's the only person who's ever care--"

" He didn't care for you! He _lied_ to you," a cloaked man with a crystal orb floating before him appeared in the room,

" He hid the truth from you when you begged and pleaded with him to let you in!"

Wicked Lady smirked, folding her arms with a snort,

" Hello, Wise Man."

" Silence, Wicked Lady! Tobi, don't you see? Riku hid things from you... things you should've known! Things that might've been able to save Tifa..."

Tobi straightened, his golden eyes widened to twice their size,

" T-Tifa?"

A flickering light suddenly filled the room and the azure boy glanced over to his left. On the far wall was the image of a young woman with lengthy, chocolate locks that were tied near her feet. She wore a white tank and a black mini-skirt with suspenders. The girl seemed to be planting a rose bush in front of a bar and she straightened, wiping her brow silently.

The picture then faded, making Tobi tense,

" Tifa!"

" I can bring her back to you."

The boy took in a breath and glanced over at Wise Man, his eyes glistening with tears,

" Wha... What did you say?"

Wise Man chuckled,

" I can bring her back to you.... for a price, that is."

Tobi frowned, clenching his fists tightly. He was silent for a moment, then, with a determined look on his face, met Wise Man's hooded gaze,

" What do I have to do?"

* * *

Serena pouted, glancing in all directions down the busy, Tokyo streets, 

" He was just here..."

" Serena!"

The girl turned to see her all-black cat running up to her, out of breath,

" Now...what was so important that you had to ditch me, Serena?"

Serena sighed, rubbing her arms sadly,

" Nothing, Luna... I guess... I guess I was just imagining things."

She then let out an awkward squawk as someone brushed her from behind. Clenching a fist, she was about to chew them out when a strange thing happened,

" Sorry..."

Serena gasped, straightening as she glanced up. Her cerulean eyes widened upon spotting a man in a tattered cloak staggering by, his silvery, shoulder-length hair fluttering with the slight breeze. Blood stained his skin and clothes, but there were no visible wounds on his body. He then stopped in front of the t.v store and stared blankly into the window, his tattered-gloved fingers pressed lightly against the glass.

The cat, Luna, let out a gasp and hopped up onto Serena's shoulder as the girl quickly stepped toward him. The man made no effort to move so she took another step forward. She couldn't believe her eyes... she had to say something,

" Duuugh...."

He still didn't reply. Gulping harshly, Serena gazed up at him in disbelief,

" Prince..."

The man straightened, slowly turning his head toward her with a frown. Her eyes widened at the sight of his... they were completely pale! Hardly any colour at all....

She blinked, drawing her hands to her heart,

" Prince Diamond?"


	49. Chapter FortyEight

Chapter Forty-Eight

Riku blinked dully, his mind and body completely drained. He straightened as he heard a soft, warbled voice and turned his head. He could hardly see any shapes or colours, all of his energy having been used on his wanderings through town. What he _could_ see though, was a paling blue silhouette in the shape of a young girl,

" Prince Diamond?"

The voice said in slowing, deep baritone. Riku frowned, the silhouette changing shape into the form of another girl he knew of. His eyes welled with tears and he turned slowly, lightly touching a hand to her cheek,

" Hikari...?"

He felt his legs give out seconds later and he fell forward into darkness.

* * *

Serena blinked slowly as the man touched her face and she gasped. His touch felt so weak...

" Hikari...?"

He muttered, then suddenly, he fell forward. Serena tensed, catching him in her thin, 15-year-old arms,

" Diamond!"

The girl then let out an exasperated breath as she fell back, his head landing on her stomach. Rolling her head to the side, she glanced up at Luna with a determined gaze,

" Luna! Go get the Scouts! Hurry now!"

Luna nodded shortly, padding off down the road toward an old temple,

" Right!"

Serena than pushed herself up off the concrete, "Diamond's" head sliding to her lap. She gained several odd stares from passersby and smiled, waving them off,

" Um... he's my... drunken uncle! Yeah! That's it... my drunk, Uncle Al!"

The blonde then began to push at him a little, laughing nervously,

" C'mon, Uncle Al... wakey-wakey...!"

The strangers than moved on and Serena let out a sigh of relief,

" Phew... that was close!"

" Serena!?"

Serena straightened, glancing up quickly to see a young, brunette boy gaping at her in disbelief.

He was dressed warmly in blue jeans, a brown top and red scarf, and, grinning like a mad man, smirked evilly,

" This is great! Wait till I tell Mom and Dad! They're gonna freak!"

The boy then bolted off and headed around the corner, Serena screaming after him,

" Sammy, you get BACK HERE!!"

But the boy was too far gone to hear her cry. She then groaned, sighing deeply with slumped shoulders,

" Just great..."

* * *

" Um, Miss Kae?"

Kae glanced up at Amy from the bed as the navy-haired girl entered the hospital room. Amy sighed, stepping over toward the bed with a few bundles of clothes,

" Your clothes... well... they won't do for winter weather. So, I asked my friend Greg if he had anything for you. He's here visiting his grandmother, you see--"

Kae folded her arms, raising an eyebrow,

" And? Look, I don't care about any sick _grandmothers_, okay? I just want out of here."

Amy frowned, her arms folded around the clothes,

" You know, maybe I _shouldn't_ help you, after all. You're being very rude."

Kae stood and walked right over to Amy, snatching the clothes away from her. Amy straightened, yelling at the red-head as she headed to the bathroom,

" Hey--"

" They _were_ for me, right? The clothes?"

Amy then silenced herself and glared at the girl's back as Kae shut the door behind her.

* * *

Luna sped up the steps of the temple, panting the entire way,

_' I'm... getting too old for this...'_

She finally reached the top, an all white cat there waiting for her,

" What is it, Luna?"

Luna had no time to stop for him, so she only managed to breath an answer,

" Not now, Artemis..."

Artemis straightened and scampered after her as she hurried inside the house behind the temple. The black cat gasped, panting heavily as she stopped,

" Raye!"

A raven-haired girl with violet eyes and wearing a red and white hakama turned to the small cat with an innocent look,

" Luna? What's the matter?"

Two other girls came up behind her, one with a brown ponytail and green eyes, the other with a blonde, half-ponytail and blue eyes. All three were confused.

Luna gasped again and turned toward the door,

" Hurry, you must come with me! It's Serena! She needs you--"

The blonde straightened, frowning,

" Does she need the Scouts?"

Raye hurried past them and after Luna, slipping on a pair of sandals as she went,

" There's no time for that, come on!"

The two girls and Artemis followed quickly behind, all wondering what dangers could possibly be ahead of them.

* * *

Amy had checked Kae out of the hospital and the two were now heading down the front walk to the street. Kae was now dressed in a black hoodie with a flame emblem screened on it and a pair of baggy cargos. Amy had to thank Greg for the lend for Kae, as the girl was proving to be too rude to do so herself. Kae held her old clothes in her arms and frowned, glaring silently down the road.

Amy was about to ask her about the _other_ articles she found on the girl, for instance, the holsters and the set of twin pistols, when she heard a shout from in front of her,

" Amy!"

A girl with brown hair tied in a ponytail was breathless as she came to a stop, a blonde and a raven-haired girl rushing on past. Amy frowned, straightening at the vibe of the girl's tension,

" Lita? What is it? What's wrong?"

Lita gasped, her green eyes sparkling,

" No time for questions now, Amy, Serena needs us! Hurry, c'mon!"

Amy gasped, dropping her books as she bolted after Lita,

" Oh my!"

Kae straightened, frowning as she rushed after them,

" Hey, wait up!!"

Her boots, which were the only thing of her's that she was wearing other than her underwear, clicked along the ground as she chased them down.

A young boy with brown hair ran out of the hospital a few minutes later and called after them upon reaching the road,

" Amy, wait!"

He then glanced down and gasped, scooping up a pile of books from the dirty concrete,

" She dropped her books..."

* * *

Serena frowned as he shivered in her arms and sighed, taking off her jacket,

" Here..."

She said softly to the unconscious "Diamond". A small smile crossed her face as he lightly grabbed hold of it, but soon faded as a strong, chilly wind swept passed her.

This made her shiver and she rubbed her arms roughly, hastily trying to warm up,

" Brrrr!!! Maybe that wasn't such a good idea--"

" Serena!"

The girl glanced behind her to see five girls running to her, one she didn't recognize, and two cats leading the way. Lita frowned as they came to a stop, placing a hand on her hip,

" Okay, so what's the big emergency, huh?"

Raye frowned, folding her arms with an annoyed look,

" Yeah... this better not be about a broken shoelace or something, cause if it is--"

Serena shook her head with a worried smile,

" No! It's not anything like _that_... it's... it's him."

She then motioned to the unconscious man in her arms. The blonde with the half-ponytail gasped, covering her mouth,

" Isn't that?"

Amy straightened, gazing down at the man,

" My gosh, that's--"

" Riku!"

The group glanced over at Kae, whose sapphire eyes were wide as she knelt down at his side. Serena blinked, slumping down as the girl patted his face lightly,

" Ree...koo?"

The others all seemed a little down by this news as well, but Raye sighed, taking a deep breath,

" Let's get him to the temple."

* * *

A high-pitched whistle sounded throughout the home and the blonde with the half ponytail, Mina, took a kettle off the stove and poured it's contents into six cups, listening intently on what the others were saying in the next room,

" So... this guy's name is Riku, huh?"

The girls all sat around Riku, who was now sleeping ''peacefully'' in a comfortable futon on the floor.

Lita folded her arms, sitting back with a smirk,

" You know, he's actually pretty cute! Is he single?"

Kae raised an eyebrow, shooting the girl an incredulous glance,

" He's 40."

" Okay, nevermind..."

Raye poked a finger at her lip, frowning in thought as Amy softly raised her voice in question,

" How do the two of you know each other, anyhow?"

Mina softly padded into the room, setting the tray of cups down on the table beside Riku's futon,

" Yeah. And how did you both get so beat-up? Were you in a fight or something?"

Kae lowered her gaze, gazing down at Riku's face. His eyes were lightly closed and a white cloth lay on his forehead as he drifted through his dreams.

_' "I won't let that happen...."'_

He looked somewhat...peaceful,

"We...we're close, I guess..."

Raye blinked, glancing up at Kae's expression. The raven-haired girl then frowned,

_' She's hiding something, I know it, but.... what is it?'_

Luna padded up to the auburn-haired girl and meowed, nudging against her knee. Kae seemed surprised by this and she smiled slightly, pulling off one of her gloves(surprisingly, they had remained intact) to softly stroke the cat's cheek. Raye gasped, spotting several discolouration's on the girl's hand,

_' Scars!?'_

Kae then brushed the cat hair off her fingers and slid the glove back on, Luna bouncing off toward the blonde in the corner. The auburn-haired girl held in a laugh at the blonde's appearance. It looked as though a set of meatballs had been planted in her hair and that yellow spaghetti noodles strung down from them. Other than that, though, the girl was completely normal. Amy turned to the meatball-haired girl and frowned, a tone of concern in her voice,

" Serena, don't you want to join us?"

Serena hugged her legs, her lips pressed lightly against her bare kneecaps,

" Not now, Amy."

The blue-eyed blonde gazed blankly at the top of Riku's head, completely silent otherwise. Mina frowned, raising her head toward the girl,

" Oh, c'mon, Serena. Your tea's gonna get cold if you just let it--"

" Look, I'm not interested, okay! Just let me be!"

Serena shot up from the floor and marched over to the door angrily, sliding it open and stepping outside into the harsh winter air. She then slammed it shut again behind her. Lita sighed, shaking her head as she pressed a finger to her temple,

" Sorry about that. Serena isn't usually like this, y'know."

Kae straightened, raising an eyebrow,

" Oh?"

Raye nodded, agreeing with Lita,

" Yeah, usually she's irresponsible, whiney, completely oblivious to _anything_ that's going on--"

Lita laughed a little,

" Okay, Raye, I think that's enough."

Raye shrugged, folding her arms,

" Fine."

The girl then turned to Kae with a bit of a smirk on her face,

" If you want a list, though, I can give one to you."

Kae shook her head, uninterested in the normal antics of that weird-headed girl,

" No, thanks. I'm not interested."

Raye then stood and headed into the kitchen with her cup, sighing,

" Okay, suit yourself. It gets pretty bad, though."

Kae then turned to the others, frowning,

" What's wrong with her, anyway?"

Mina raised an eyebrow,

" Who, Raye?"

" No! The meatball-head who just walked out the door!!"

The blonde then smiled, scratching her head,

" Oh! You mean Serena!"

Amy shrugged, sipping at her tea,

" To tell you the truth, none of us are exactly sure what the problem is! But ever since Diamond's death inside the Black Crystal, she's been really depressed."

Raye shook her head as she came back into the room, sighing,

" No, Amy. I think you're wrong. This all started when Rini was taken and Darien disappeared--"

Kae's eyes widened and she gasped,

" Darien!?"

Lita nodded, raising an eyebrow,

" Yeah, why? You know him?"

* * *

A/N: I do not own Sailor Moon in any way, shape, or form. Just thought you should know that.


	50. Chapter FortyNine

Chapter Forty-Nine

_He groaned as he sat up glancing around the place in confusion,_

_" Where am I?"_

_The place looked to be a hospital and a children's ward, to be exact._ _His blue eyes scanned the area for something, anything that looked even remotely familiar... but they couldn't find anything. Frowning again, he lowered his gaze and closed his eyes, whispering softly,_

_" I don't... remember... Darien? Darien... is that my name?"_

_" Well, then, hello, Darien."_

_Gasping, his bright, blue eyes shot up to see a pair of emerald ones gazing down at him. He blinked, raising an eyebrow,_

_" Who... who are you?"_

_The person behind the eyes smiled, chuckling softly as he stood up straight. It was a man with lengthy blonde hair, wearing a deep red cloak and black pants,_

_" Name's Zero. Mind if I sit with you?"_

_----_

Darien opened his eyes and sat up in bed, sighing as he slammed a hand to his forehead. He hated dreaming of the past, especially of _him_. His eyes narrowed to deathly slits and he let out a low hiss, snarling,

" Ba$t#$d..."

" Oh, Darien..."

His blue-eyed gaze rose to see a blonde in the doorway, her hair most reminiscent of antennae,

" What do _you_ want, Lakchine?"

Lakchine folded her arms and pouted semi-angrily at the man,

" What's got you all bent outta shape, huh?"

Darien stood and rolled his eyes, heading over to his dresser at the far wall closest to the door,

" Don't you have someone else to be pestering right about now? Where's your brother?"

The blonde placed her arms behind her head, yawning,

" Oh, you mean Axel? He talks to much... spoils all our secrets, y'know?"

The raven-haired man frowned, raising an eyebrow at the 17-year-old,

" Spoils secrets? What do you mean?"

Lakchine blinked at him with big eyes, then shrugged,

" Yeah, he's goin' around, spillin' our secrets to some stupid kid named Tuba or somethin'. I told him not to, but you know Axel. Always has to do things _his_ way..."

Darien straightened, lightly biting his thumb,

" Tuba... could that be...?"

He then pushed Lakchine out of the doorway and rushed past her, his hoodless cloak flapping lightly as he walked. Lakchine let out a yelp and shouted after him,

" You could've just asked me to move, y'know! Geez, how rude..."

_

* * *

_

_' Tifa...'_

_----_

_She wore a mini-skirt and a white tank, black suspenders strapped onto her belt. A pair of crimson gloves adorned each of her delicate, pale hands and she smiled up at him, fists on her hips,_

_" You're joking."_

_He shrugged, rain streaking down his clothes and hair,_

_" What's there to joke about?"_

_She folded her arms, her eyes wide as she laughed,_

_" I'm wearing white!"_

_" So?"_

_Tifa sighed, shaking her head,_

_" Of course you wouldn't care, you perv..."_

_His aqua eyes sparkled in the rain and he smirked, her bluish-green outline clearly visible,_

_" Oh, c'mon, Tifa! Haven't you ever heard the saying ' All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?'"_

_The 20-year-old grinned, folding her arms,_

_" Then it's a good thing I'm not Jack, eh? Whoa, what the--!?"_

_She screamed, suddenly stumbling out into the storm. He smirked to see the outline of a 5-year-old Tobi behind her, but was caught by surprise to see her losing her balance on the muddy terrain. Hurrying forward, she smashed into his chest, hard, and both fell to the ground with a loud 'slop'. The 25-year-old gazed up at her turquoise outline and could sense the heat tugging at her cheeks, soon blushing a little himself._

_Tifa blinked, both silent for a moment as Tobi's semi-evil, little laugh filled their ears. She gulped hard, about to speak when he suddenly began to laugh underneath her,_

_" Looks like someone's happy to see me."_

_Tifa's blush deepened and she glanced down to find that her shirt was now completely see-through. Growling a little, she shoved him in the chest and shot up, quickly covering herself,_

_" You pervert."_

_The 20-year-old then stormed back inside to the dismay of little Tobi. Sighing slightly, the 25-year-old lay back in the mud, hands behind his head as he smirked up into the stormy sky. _

_----_

Riku groaned and opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness. His vision had worn out so quickly that the only way he could see now was if his eyes were closed or if his blindfold was on.He sighed deeply and frowned, closing his eyes,

_' It won't be long until I can't see at all...'_

" Are you awake?"

Riku's eyes instinctively shot open and he glanced to his right, silent. He then remembered that he couldn't see that way anymore and shut his eyes, frowning to see the blue silhouette of a 14-year-old girl,

" Who are you?"

The girl sighed, frowning at him intently,

" My name is Raye. Are you feeling better, Riku-san?"

Riku snorted at how his name sounded tagged with '-san' and slowly sat up, grunting,

" Just Riku."

Raye blinked in astonishment, straightening,

" Are you sure?"

Riku nodded, pushing himself up off the futon,

" I'm sure. I'm supposing that Kae told you my... what's this?"

He felt over his clothes with a frown, the material completely different from his cloak. This cloth was soft and warm, whereas his cloak was sleek and cold, haunted with memories from the past. These clothes held no memories for him.

Raye stood quickly beside him, her hands held together before her,

" It's one of Chad's old hakamas. You don't know him. He left our temple about a year or so ago. He's _trying_ to become a rockstar."

Riku nodded thoughtfully and kept his eyes closed as he started for the nearest hall,

" Where are _my_ clothes?"

Raye raised an eyebrow and quickly padded after him,

" You mean your ratty cloak? I'm sorry, but that old thing was damaged beyond repair."

The silver-haired man frowned, lowering his head,

" Beyond repair...?"

Glimpses of his past travelled back to his mind, causing a slight lump to form in his throat. That coat... for some reason, that coat held special meaning for him... he _needed_ that coat. Raye noticed the sad look on his face and took in a breath,

" I'll try an fix it the best I can, Riku-san, but I can't promise it will be the same as it used to be."

Riku straightened, glancing down at the raven-haired girl with surprise,

" You'd do that for me?"

She shrugged, nodding slightly

" Sure. Why not?"

He sighed, nodding as he returned to his walk down the dark hallway,

" Thanks."

Raye kept pace with him and coughed a little,

" If you were wondering who changed your clothes, don't worry. I had Grandpa change you, so there were no prying eyes... if you were worried about that, that is."

Riku chuckled, making the girl blush a little,

" No. No, I wasn't."

They were then silent and Raye frowned as he opened the door to head outside,

" Where are you going?"

Riku turned slightly, frowning sadly,

" I... I have to find someone."

Raye shrugged, raising her eyebrows in concern,

" In the middle of the night? Riku-san, you should wait until morning to do any searching. A winter night isn't a good time to search--"

Riku smiled, laughing shortly,

" Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be fine."

" Now, see here, young man..."

The silver-haired man straightened and turned to see the short-statured silhouette of Raye's grandfather standing before him in the doorway of the temple,

" My granddaughter told you to stay and I suggest you do so! I'm sure that whoever you're searching for can wait to be found until morning--"

" You don't understand. I need to find him now, before any damage is done--"

" What kind of damage?"

Riku spun on his heel to see the silhouette of a girl with strange, meatball-like hair. She then stepped a bit closer, her voice strong and stern,

" What kind of damage?"

* * *

They now sat by a large fire, all seven of them and the cats as well. Riku, however, would not sit and was pacing back and forth behind Raye, thinking quietly to himself,

_' I shouldn't have told them anything... they'll only wind up getting hurt, Kae too. But... these girls seem to know more about Darien than I do... especially that girl Serena. Looks to me like she's got a deep connection with the guy. Perhaps... she's his weakness?'_

Raye frowned,

" It's no good. I can't get any readings from Darien... he's blocking me."

Riku coughed, scratching his head,

" How long did you say he's been missing again?"

Amy frowned, shaking her head,

" For nearly a year now. But this isn't the only time he's gone missing."

Lita nodded, chiming in in agreement,

" Yeah, he's disappeared more times than I can remember!"

Kae sighed, rubbing her chin in thought,

" And you say that when he comes back... he has no memory as to what happened while he was gone?"

Mina nodded, Artemis hopping onto her lap with a loud purr,

" Yeah, he says he can't remember a thing that's happened to him."

" That's what he says," Raye began, closing her eyes as she gazed into the growing flames before her,

" But something's telling me that he's not being totally truthful with us, you guys."

" You're wrong!"

They all jumped and turned to Serena, who was now standing up straight, both fists at her sides,

" Darien would never lie to me. He cares about me and I know in my heart that he's telling the truth!"

The blonde then ran out of the room, her friends crying out after her,

" Serena, wait!"

Serena ran out into the snowy night, the she'd run to cold and uninviting. She shivered as a chill ran through her and rubbed her arms, her teeth chattering a little,

" He wouldn't lie to me... he loves me. Oh, Darien! Where are you?"

* * *

The door in the cell block burst open, an angry Darien storming in with a curious Lakchine tagging behind. They found Axel by an all white door with a barred window, speaking to one of the prisoners,

" And you really think this?"

" Axel!"

Axel turned slightly and smiled, folding his arms to see Darien storming up to him. The man was completely red in the face,

" Just what the he$# do you think you're doing!?"

Axel straightened confidently with a defiant smirk stretching across his lips,

" Why, Darien! Whatever do you mean?"

Darien forcefully grabbed the younger man's cloak and shoved him back into the door, spitting with each word spoken,

" You know _exactly_ what I mean, _Axel_! Bringing the enemy into our base and-and then telling him our intentions! What the he$# are you thinking!? I won't stand for him knowing our plans--"

" Even _if_ he agrees with them...? Darien?"

The raven-haired man froze, staring with wide eyes at the white door. The voice had come from behind it. Axel smirked as he yanked Darien's hands off his jacket and stepped around him, ushering his little sister out of there,

" Let's leave them alone for a while, shall we?"

Lakchine pouted up at him, trying to squirm out of his grasp,

" But I wanna know what's going on!!"

" I'll tell you when you're older."

" Just because you're two years older than me, doesn't mean you rule the world, y'know!!"

" I know. I just like to annoy you."

Darien clenched his fists as the door to the cells creaked shut and turned away from the door, frowning,

" So...."

The voice from the otherside of the door repeated him,

" So."

The 19-year-old growled, clenching his fists so tightly that his palms began to bleed... through his gloves.

The person in the cell obviously heard the growl and chuckled softly,

" You can't stay mad forever, Darien--"

" I can if I want, too."

There was a short pause, then the voice spoke again,

" _Do _you want to?"

Darien gulped hard, tears of anger threatening to spill,

" You're a liar and a traitor and I hate you. Of course I want to stay mad."

" I'm not a traitor--"

" Oh, really!?"

The man spun around and peered through the bar window, pounding a fist on the door,

" Then what exactly are you, huh!? You sided _against_ our Master! How can you _not_ be classified as a traitor?"

A pair of emerald eyes shone up at him through the shadows of the cell, glaring evenly with him,

" Because... I _have_ no Master."

* * *

Lakchine frowned, pressing her ear firmly up against the large, steel door. Axel came around the corner and shook his head, stepping up to her,

" What are you doing?"

The green-eyed girl shushed him, then went back to her eavesdropping,

" Quiet! I'm tryin' to hear!"

Her fiery-haired brother shook his head, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and index finger,

" Oi...."

Lakchine simply stuck her tongue out at him and shrieked as the door opened, an infuriated Darien storming past her. She fell on her face and pushed herself up, flipping him the bird as he marched on down the hall.

Axel glared down at her and shook his head, then hurried after his anguished senior. Lakchine then pouted, folding her arms in defiance,

" He started it!"

* * *

Later on that night, Riku, Raye, and Lita sat around the firelight, Riku glaring blankly at the huge white flames before him,

_' White must be heat...'_

" Hey, your name is Riku, right?"

He turned to the blue silhouette known as Lita and nodded silently,

" Yeah."

Lita folded her arms and leaned her back against the far left wall,

" Well, then, Riku... how do you and Tobi know each other, exactly? Kae told us about how you're urging to look for him. You must be pretty close with this kid if you want to find him so badly."

Riku straightened, clenching his fists as Raye nodded,

" Yeah, how _do_ you know him, Riku-san?"

Riku lowered his head, remaining silent.

Raye frowned over at him, the flames bursting a bit higher,

" Riku-san, in order to find him, we need to know as much about him as we can. So, please... tell us how you know each other."

* * *

Serena sighed as she sat on her front porch and gazed up at the starry night sky,

_' Oh, Darien... I wish I knew... I wish I knew where you were.'_

After a long moment of silence, a ruffle in the bushes beside the house startled her and she jumped up suddenly, stiffening for a fight. The blonde then straightened as the figure limped from the shadows, her sapphire eyes widening as he came into the light. It was a young man about the age of 19, dressed in all black from head to toe with raven-coloured hair and dulling blue eyes. He was scraped up pretty badly, his breathing harsh and ragged from strain,

" Sere...na?"

The girl gasped, running to him at full speed as he collapsed to his knees,

" Darien!!"


	51. Chapter Fifty

* * *

Chapter Fifty

" What happened to him?"

Amy asked, biting her thumb as she gazed at the raven-haired man on Serena's bed. The blonde shrugged, her sapphire eyes wide in concern,

" I don't know... I found him like this outside."

Kae glared silently at Darien, her fists clenching and unclenching,

_' " The Keybearer than travelled back to his homeland and lived happily ever after, until one day he had a little girl..."'_

Mina noted that the red-head's eyes were burning with anger and she quickly stood, stepping toward the door,

" I'm going to go see if the others are here, yet."

She then stepped out the door and quietly shut it behind her, Artemis scampering out after her just as it closed. There was a loud screech heard and Mina's apology as the door opened slightly,

" Sorry, Artemis..."

His tail had been slammed in the door. Amy glanced over at Kae and noticed the girl's death glare, gulping,

" Hey, what's wrong?"

Kae blinked and turned to the 14-year-old, staring silently for a moment before standing,

" Nothing."

The girl then stormed through the door and headed downstairs, brushing past Mina as she headed toward the front door.

Mina blinked, then continued on her way back up the stairs. As she entered the room, she thumbed in the direction Kae went,

" What's eating her?"

Footsteps were soon heard rushing up the stairs and Raye, Lita, and Riku entered the room, Riku clenching his fists at the sight of Darien.

Raye gasped as she undid her scarf and hurried over to the bed, across from Serena,

" We just got your message. Has he woken up?"

The blonde shook her head silently. Riku cracked his knuckles and smirked a little, brushing passed Amy and Lita to get to Darien,

" I'll wake him up...."

Raye quickly stepped aside as Riku stormed over and latched onto Darien's collar,

" Where is he, huh? What'd you do to him?"

Serena gasped as Luna hopped up onto the bed, hissing at Riku viciously.

Riku shook Darien forcefully, now screaming at him,

" Where is he!? Where's Tobi!?!"

" Hey, that's enough!"

Lita shouted, stepping up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. Raye nodded in agreement and began tugging at Riku's arms,

" Yeah, Riku-san! Leave Darien alone!"

Riku's blind gaze remained fixed on Darien's fading, red silhouette and he snarled, his heart starting to pump in a strange pattern,

_' What the he$#?'_

He then noted that Raye was whispering some strange enchantation in his ear and he began to feel light-headed. His hands loosened from Darien and he staggered away, trying to breath,

" What did you...?"

Frowning, he felt around on his arm and found a small paper latched there,

" What...?"

Raye frowned as Riku fell to the floor, now unconscious,

" It's for your own good, Riku-san..."

Riku's eyelids fluttered lightly, his eyebrows slightly furrowed,

" It's for your own good."

* * *

Kae frowned as she glared at the concrete,

_' " The Heartless knew this and decided that it was the perfect time to exact their revenge on the happy, little Keybearer. They travelled to the Keybearer's home, where they joyously brought an end to his happy, little life...."'_

Pulling out one of her pistols, she fired it off straight into the concrete, frozen in anger.

A few lights turned on in the houses nearby and she quickly straightened, reholstering her guns. Her clothes had been fixed in the one day that she'd been thereshe fixed them herself. They didn't look so great, but they'd do until she could get a new outfit. The 19-year-old briskly turned and headed back for the house, unaware of the shadows that now bubbled up through the new hole in the asphalt...

* * *

--

_He'd been running. Running for what seemed like hours on end. Countless Heartless had attacked him and he'd been unable to protect himself. All he could think about was getting the baby to safety. It wailed and hollered with each strike the Heartless made on him, each tear crying a river of blood. Finally, now tired and in extreme pain, he listened hard and heard the sound of people. He'd reached the city at last. _

_Holding the crying child closer to his chest, he hurried further into the town, searching for any word on where her bar might be. A few passersby tried to help him, but screamed at the bundle in his arms and ran in terror. A kind lady selling flowers nearby helped him over to the bar, then scolded him for wanting to take an infant into a wretched place like that. He thanked her anyway and stumbled blindly toward the door._

_It was locked. Pounding on the door with his foot, he waited a few moments, the pain in his body intensifying. He heard the door creak open and a light voice said,_

_" I'm sorry, we're closed.... Riku!?"_

_It was her. It was Tifa. Grunting slightly, he motioned for the 15-year-old to get the child and took in a breath,_

_" Here... take him...."_

_She did as she was told and stepped out of the way, letting him enter,_

_" Riku, are you all right? What happened to you?"_

_He staggered for a moment, gazing into darkness,_

_" I...I...can't... the kid....crying....loud screams.... Hikari..."_

_He then blanked out, Tifa's faint screams ringing in his ears,_

_" Riku!!"_

_--_

Slowly, Riku opened his eyes and pushed himself up off the floor, turning to the glowing blue silhouette of Raye,

" Why did you do that?"

Raye sighed, lowering her head,

" You looked murderous, Riku-san. It was the only spell I could come up with on such short notice. You've only been out for ten minutes, though--"

He stood, shaking his head as he stepped toward her,

" That _isn't_ the point, Raye! You had no right to put me out like that."

The girl nodded, taking in a deep breath,

" I know. I'm sorry, Riku-san."

" Sere...na?"

The group jumped as the new voice entered the conversation. Serena squeezed Darien's hand and smiled,

" I'm here."

Kae quietly reentered the room and frowned as the raven-haired man opened his eyes, growling as he innocently said,

" What... happened?"

Riku then stepped up to the man and growled,

" I was hoping you could tell _me_ that, Darien. Now... where's Tobi?"

Darien frowned, his warming, blue eyes slowly closing,

" What? Who...?"

The silver-haired man hissed at him, snarling viciously,

" Don't give me that bull$#it! Where's Tobi!?"

Darien shook his head, his eyes shut tightly,

" I-I don't know--"

" The He$# you don't."

" LOOK, I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!?"

Riku clenched his fists tightly, then turned and left the room. Amy stood, suspiscious of the man's moves,

" Where are you going?"

Riku remained silent, slamming the door shut behind him as he headed out of the room. The others then turned back to Darien, who was frowning in confusion,

" Who... who was that guy?"

* * *

Riku paced outside, cursing lowly at he swung his staff around,

" He's a lying little prick... I know it. That ba$ta#d's lying through his perfectly straight teeth."

He slammed the staff down into the ground, small cracks forming in the asphalt around it. Sighing deeply, he turned his blinded gaze upward and frowned,

" Where the he$# are you, kid.... huh?"

A cold feeling suddenly filled the air and Riku cursed, turning to see a legion of nearly a thousand Heartless gathering behind him. He clenched his fists and greeted them with a low hiss,

" Hello."

One of them squeaked and leapt at him, the others soon following suit.

* * *

Kae straightened and turned toward the door, frowning. Darien turned his head as well, followed by Serena, and then Raye. Lita blinked in confusion,

" What is it, you guys?"

Luna's ears twitched and she let out a hiss as Raye stood,

" I'm sensing something...."

Darien frowned, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Serena's door,

" I feel it, too. I think a battle must be going on outside..."

Kae gasped, her eyes widening as she pulled her pistols out and bolted out the door,

" Riku..."

Raye turned to the others and nodded shortly,

" You guys ready to fight?"

They all nodded and each pulled out a strange-looking wand. The wands each had their own emblem and colour, those colour signifying different planets of their solar system. Raye was the first to use hers,

" Mars Star Power!"

" Venus Star Power!"

" Jupiter Star Power!"

" Mercury Star Power!"

Serena then stood and pulled out a small object that looked like a make-up compact, raising it high into the air,

" Moon Crystal Power!"

The room was soon filled with a harsh, white light and Darien shielded his eyes quickly, not exactly wishing to go blind.

* * *

Kae burst through the door and ran outside, cursing at what she saw. Riku was in the middle of the empty street and attempting to hold off nearly a million Heartless on his own. The auburn-haired girl shook her head and rushed out onto the battle field,

_' He's even worse than Tobi, the baka!'_

Immediately, she began to fire off a barrage off bullets onto the Heartless legions, smirking as they each dissipated with a loud shriek.

Riku turned a bit as she rushed in behind him and smirked, glancing over his shoulder at her,

" What took you so long?"

The girl's eyebrow twitched and she kicked away a Heartless with her boot,

" Well, forgive me, _'Oh Great One'_, for not coming sooner..."

The man grinned again, striking down a Shadow that was dumb enough to leap at him,

" You're forgiven."

Kae then groaned and rolled her eyes, shooting a few more away. Her eyes widened as her pistols suddenly became jammed and she cursed,

" S#it!"

Smacking the butt of the gun a few times, she glanced up to see a Shadow flying straight for her and gasped. The girl cursed again and tried to fix her weapon before it was too late,

" C'mon.... c'mon, da$# you...!"

Kae looked up again to see the shadow falling toward her face and she raised her arms to protect herself from it's deadly claws with a soft yelp. Then out of nowhere came a crack of thunder that made her scream.

" Jupiter Thunder CRASH!!"

The Heartless shrieked and convulsed in the air for a moment before exploding, a pure pink heart sailing up into the night sky.

Kae blinked and open her eyes, glancing around for a moment,

_' What...?'_

" C'mon, guys! Let's go!!"

She then turned her gaze toward the house to see the girls she'd just met merely hours ago brandishing pathetic school girl outfits and tiaras. The auburn-haired girl raised an eyebrow at this,

" What is this? A bad episode of _Pretty Sammy_?"

Serena tilted her head with a confused look on her face,

" Pretty, who?"

Kae smacked her palm to her forehead and shook her head,

" Nevermind..."

Amy frowned, using her computer to scan the growing number of Heartless,

" There's too many of them! There's just no way we can fight them off!"

Raye nodded, calling to Riku and Kae,

" Everyone, to the temple!"


	52. Chapter FiftyOne

Chapter Fifty-One

" Riku-san."

Riku turned slightly to see Raye standing there, holding something in her arms,

" Yeah?"

The girl smiled, holding the object out to him,

" Here's your cloak. I stitched it back up the best I could. It should be good as new!"

Serena narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired girl and folded her arms,

" Of course _you_ did, Miss Perfect..."

Raye simply stuck her tongue out at the girl, then turned back to the man,

" And I made a new blindfold for you as well. I hope it'll do..."

Riku smiled a little as he took them and stepped out of the room for a moment to change,

" Thanks."

" Man, there must have been at least 5,000 of those things back there!"

Lita said, cracking her knuckles as she paced the floor.

Amy nodded, punching in figures on her computer,

" To be exact, there were 6,392 of them. And those were only the ones my computer was able to track!"

Lita cringed, her hair frazzled as she turned to the blue-haired girl,

" Geez! Where'd they all come from?"

" My guess is that they all came from the Black Crystal."

The all turned to Darien, who was now frowning at the floor,

" I felt the same energy about them that I did back when I was heading into that fortress..."

Riku nodded as he reentered the room,

" You mean, Castle Nemesis?"

Lita glanced over at Riku and blushed a little,

_' Oh wow! He's even hunkier in leather!'_

Darien simply shrugged,

" Hey, whatever you want to call it, pal."

Riku clenched his fists as Kae turned to him, frowning,

" That's where Tobi is... isn't it?"

The blinded one nodded,

" I need to get there and fast. Before any more of our Heartless _friends_ show up..."

He then lowered his head and cursed,

_' And the fastest way would be... if I used my dark power.'_

His fists clenched tightly and he gritted his teeth,

_' I don't want to use them unless it's an emergency... I guess this could be classified as an emergency. Of course it's an emergency, Riku, what the h$# are you thinking! The kid's life is at stake--'_

" You can use my bike."

Riku jerked away from his thoughts and shot Darien an incredulous stare,

" What now?"

Darien nodded up at him,

" You can use my bike. Here's the keys."

He tossed them to Riku, who caught them in one hand, and continued,

" It's located in a parking garage on Main. Top floor, by the elevator. If you press the button it'll chirp for you."

Riku nodded and turned toward the door, then glanced back at him,

" And you'd let a blind man ride your motorcycle?"

Darien remained silent as Riku turned to Kae,

" I'll clear the way to the fortress and meet you guys inside. You'd better come and back me up."

He then spun on his heel and bolted out into the night before he could receive a protest from the auburn-haired gunslinger.

Kae folded her arms and huffed angrily,

" But of course,_ your Majesty_."

* * *

Riku frowned, glancing behind him to see if anyone was around,

_' I guess it's safe to do this...'_

He then held out a hand before him and closed his eyes, a black portal soon forming before him. Cursing as a tinge of pain ran through his body, he stepped through and found himself standing next to a large, green object. He glanced around and pressed the button on Darien's keys, smirking as he heard the object chirp softly,

" Well, what d'you know? I still know my way around that place..."

He then sat down on the bike seat and frowned, his eyes shifting around the huge green blob before him,

" Okay... now where's the ignition?"

* * *

" I hope Riku-san will be okay out there. I mean, he didn't look like he could take much more back at Serena's..."

Raye muttered softly. Kae frowned, her gaze shifting to the floor of the temple,

_' Come to think of it... Raye's right! Riku did look a little worn out back there. I wonder why, though...'_

The girl then shook her head and began to fumble with her parents' rings,

_' Not that I care what happens to that b$t#d, anyway... He can rot in H$# for all I care!'_

She sighed, gazing at the engravings inside the rings, specifically, her mother's. It read:

_To my Light; love, Sora._

Kae then pouted in disappointment, resting her chin on her palm,

_' I wonder if I'll ever find love like my parents had... I mean, there was Aki, but...'_

_--_

_Tobi lightly brushed his lips against hers and pulled her into a kiss. A blush faintly crossed her cheeks and she sighed softly, her eyelids fluttering shut. It was strange... his kiss felt like heaven to her. She wanted it to last forever, just one, long, passionate kiss stretching for miles into eternity. Soon other thoughts began to enter he head as well, for instance, the stages past a kiss and she felt her heart lurch. Her body started to tingle and she opened her eyes, quickly pushing him away,_

_" Don't ever do that again."_

_--_

Kae then rubbed her arm and sighed, gazing down at the floor,

_' Could Tobi's disappearence... be all _my_ fault?'_

* * *

The motorcycle roared loudly as it ripped through the quiet streets of Tokyo, Riku smirking at his triumph,

_' If all else fails, just use a little magic to get it going.'_

He cursed suddenly as he felt the air grow cold and glanced behind him. Sure enough, there was a Nobody chasing him down on a bike of their own. Grunting lowly, Riku glanced back to the road before him to see thousands of tiny red spots crawling up from the black abyss that was the asphalt,

_' Another quirk in my sight...'_

Smirking, he revved up the engine and sped down the road, slicing most of the forming Heartless in two. The Nobody sped after him, not even caring if they hit a Heartless or not. They turned the corner after Riku, nearly catching up as the silver-haired one sped through a red light. Riku glanced back and cursed, his lengthy bangs whipping his face,

" Da$$#t!"

He then glanced before him and saw a cop car barreling straight at him. Quickly, he jerked left on the handle bars and cursed, the bike nearly skidding out of control.

The Nobody went to the right of the policemen, glancing toward Riku through it's helmeted gaze. Riku glanced back and noted that this Nobody was different from most of the others. It's silhouette was red, but it didn't feel evil. There seemed to be a lengthy object whipping around behind it and Riku gasped, the police sirens now blaring loudly in his ears,

_' Tobi..?'_

Riku's eyes widened as the Nobody veered toward him rapidly, ramming the side of it's bike into his. This nearly flung the silver-haired man off the contraption, but he managed to maintain a firm grip and cursed,

" $#it...Tobi!"

The Nobody ignored him and slammed against him again, forcing Riku to shout a second time,

" Tobi... Tobi, stop!!"

This time, the Nobody sped up and passed Riku, utterly confusing his enemy. It then spun the bike completely around and headed straight for Riku, it's smirk contained behind it's helmet. The blind man prepared himself for a crash, but was shocked to find that the Nobody was suddenly veering off course. He was almost relieved by this sudden motion, but still questioned the Nobody's motives,

_' What's he up to...?'_

Sure enough, the Nobody's motives were revealed seconds later as they leapt from their bike and landed on his handle bars. They made sure to fire a beam right past his head and the cop car exploded into pieces, causing a huge fireball to rise into the clouds. Riku was caught off guard by this and cursed as the Nobody wrapped it's delicate hands around his neck, attemtping to choke him. Grunting slightly as their hold strengthened, Riku frowned and bit his lip,

_' Sorry about this, kid...'_

Riku brought both hands up from the handle bars and struck the Nobody with such force that it was blown from the bike completely. He then quickly regained control and swerved away from an oncoming bus, spinning completely before coming to a full stop. With heavy gasps for air, Riku bolted from Darien's bike and hurried over to the motionless Nobody, grabbing for their helmet first,

" Tobi! Are you okay? Answer me, kid!"

" I'm fine!"

Came the feminine voice. The Nobody sat up as Riku pulled their helmet away and pouted up at him,

" And for your information, I am NOT Tobi! Do I look like a guy to you!?"

Riku frowned at this. The silhouette was nothing like he'd seen before. Why,_ she _was just a kid.... _younger_ than Tobi, even!

He then glanced down and pulled the lengthy object from her coat, frowning,

" A hose? Alright, now spill! Who the he$# are you? And where's Tobi!?"

* * *

Axel smirked as he gazed down at the crystal ball, then turned toward his new friend, who was standing by the far wall,

" Hey, he's asking about you."

" So?"

The red-head then shrugged and glanced back at the image, doing a double take,

" What the--!? What is _she_ doing there!?"

Wicked Lady stepped up behind him,

" What is who doing where? Oh, your sister... I told you that girl was trouble!"

Axel clenched his fists tightly as he gazed down at Lakchine's image,

_' This was supposed to be Tobi's job... that stupid girl's gonna get herself killed!'_

* * *

Lakchine pouted as Riku paced back and forth before her,

" Yer not gonna kill me for all this... are ya?"

Riku glared down at the 17-year-old and sighed, then shook his head,

" No. No, I won't kill you."

Lakchine then bounced up happily,

" Thank you! You know, you're the nicest of Ansem's enemies that I've ever met! Well... that Sora guy was nicer... before he was brainwashed and all..."

Riku straightened and glanced over at the girl, his eyes wide behind the blindfold,

" What did you say? Sora was brainwashed?"

Lakchine gulped, biting the tip of her index,

" Um.... no?"

" Yes, you did! You just said Sora was nicer before he was brainwashed!"

He then strode right up to the girl, shaking her by the shoulders

" Tell me what you know!"

" Not so fast, _Riku_!"

Both turned to the street to see Axel now standing there, brandishing both his glimmering weapons. His emerald eyes gleamed sharply in deathly slits at the man as he let out a low growl,

" Take your hands off my sister."

Riku was a bit surprised by the pair's relation, but he made no effort to move,

" Take me to Tobi," he then grabbed Lakchine around the shoulders and pressed his staff under her chin,

" And I'll let her go."

Axel's eyes widened and he snarled viciously,

_' No one threatens the life of my baby sister....'_

He hissed lowly stepping toward Riku. Riku stepped back, taking Lakchine with him,

" No, no. Come any closer and my staff shoots straight into her brain."

This angered Axel even more and his body began to shake, not just out of rage, but also in fear for his sister's life,

_' I can't lose her, too.... she's all I have left...'_

Letting out a few puffs of angered breaths, Axel retracted his weapons and straightened calmly,

" I'll take you to him... just don't hurt her."

Riku smirked and lowered his staff, shoving Lakchine toward her brother,

" I wasn't planning on it."

Axel frowned at the gesture and quickly ushered his sister behind him, glaring at Riku,

" Why?"

The blind man raised an eyebrow,

" Why, what?"

" Why give her back when I may betray you?"

Riku shrugged, smirking as he headed back over to his bike,

" Your sister's told me a lot about you, Axel. She told me that you're loyal in what you do and you're completely honest. Figured you'd still hold to that since you just swore you'd take me to Tobi."

Axel nodded, glancing back at his sister,

" And you say_ I _spoil secrets..."

Lakchine folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at him in response to that, then pouted,

" Well, I wouldn't've had you guys let me go on the mission this afternoon!"

The red-head's eyes widened and he shushed her, but Riku simply laughed,

" Oh, you mean with Darien?"

They both glanced over at him and frowned, Axel stepping forward in concern,

" You've seen him?"

Riku then frowned, glancing back and forth between them,

" You mean.... you don't know where he is?"

Lakchine shook her head,

" No, we don't. Every once in a while, he justs disappears on us for no reason! No one knows why, and no one knows where he goes when he disappears!"

Axel nodded,

" When he vanished today, he was pretty upset.... hold on! Why are we telling _you _this!? You're the enemy!!"

Lakchine snickered, pointing at him from behind,

" Told you he spoils secrets..."

" Shut up! I do not!"

Riku laughed a little at their quarrel, then frowned and turned to Darien's bike,

_' I suppose... this must mean he was telling the truth...'_

Turning back to the Nobody pair, he nodded,

" Alright. Now, take me to him. Take me to Tobi."


	53. Chapter FiftyTwo

Chapter Fifty-Two

The bikes stopped before a large empire of smoky crystals protruding from the world's surface and Riku let out a whistle,

" You guys don't do anything simple, do you?"

Axel smirked as he leaned over on his handle bars,

" Why should we? We have every resource we need to perform at maximum level."

He then coughed and glanced behind him,

" You can let go of me now, Lakchine."

The young blonde had tightly wrapped her arms around her brother and sealed her eyes shut during the drive over there. She whimpered,

" Did it stop yet?"

Axel shook his head, sighing,

" Yes, the bike stopped."

The girl then peeled herself off him and carefully stood, staggering away from him a bit,

" I meant the spinning in my head..."

Riku raised an eyebrow, Axel immediately noting the blind man's confusion,

" She doesn't like how I drive--"

" That's because you DON'T drive, Axel! You shoot the bike off like a da$# torpedo and I can barely hold on when you do that!! Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go hurl..."

Lakchine then tore a hole through the fortress' invisible barrier and ran through it, her boots clicking as she disappeared into the distance. Axel stood and motioned for Riku to follow him,

" C'mon. It's this way."

* * *

Kae sighed as she gazed out at the enormous crystals, frowning, 

" Is it... getting bigger?"

" Yes."

She glanced over to see Serena standing there, gazing at it just the same,

" It gets bigger constantly... It's the Nega Moon's doing. Ever since they came here, we've had nothing but trouble with it..."

" What about Prisma and the others, Serena? They're not so bad."

Kae glanced down to see that Luna was sitting beside Serena's foot, gazing up at the blonde with big, red eyes. The girl raised an eyebrow, smirking,

" So, you _do_ speak. I knew you could."

Serena then glanced up at Kae and frowned,

" You knew about Luna? But how...?"

Kae shrugged,

" Just call me Ms. Cleo."

She then whipped both pistols from their holsters and turned to the others,

" We should get going. I'm sure Riku's made it there by now."

The others heard her from not too far away and nodded, stepping up behind Serena. Even Darien, who was now in what appeared to be a ballroom suit and a mask, was waiting with them.

He placed a hand gently on Serena's shoulder and took in a deep breath,

" Don't worry. We'll get Rini back. I'll make sure of it."

She nodded, placing her hand lightly on his,

" I know..."

* * *

Wicked Lady stepped into the main hall and raised an eyebrow to see Lakchine bolt inside, 

" Well, hello little one. Just what did you think you were gonna do out there, huh? Kill Riku off so the kiddo wouldn't have to deal with him?"

Lakchine stopped short and glanced over at Wicked Lady with big eyes,

" I..."

The pink-haired woman folded her arms,

" I know you have feelings for him."

The blonde blinked, lowering her head as the woman continued,

" What? Did you think I was blind? There's no way he'll fall for _you_, _sweetheart_. _You're_ nowhere near his league. Infact, I'm sure that if he had the choice, he'd choose me over _you_ anyday. Why, I don't think he even knows you're _name_! What makes you think you can win over a guy like _him_, hm?"

Lakchine narrowed her eyes, her fists clenching tightly at her sides,

" I'm not _trying_ to win him over, okay? I was just.... oh, nevermind! What does a bi$c# like you care, anyway!?"

She then stormed angrily away. Wicked Lady smirked, then briskly headed in the direction of their newest member's chambers.

* * *

" C'mon, you guys!" 

Kae shouted, already at the head of the pack. The other girls and Darien lagged behind a bit, and Kae made a mental note to laugh at Darien later because of this. They finally reached the crystal about ten minutes later. Kae turned to them, fully rejuvenated by the workout,

" Okay, so what now?"

The others were panting in exhaustion, Luna stepping up to the red-head with a nod,

" Now, we must get inside."

Serena nodded, clenching a fist in determination,

" Okay! Gotcha!"

She started to run off, but skidded to a stop at Amy's words,

" Hold on! There seems to be some sort of protective barrier around this place. It's not as easy to get to as it looks."

Raye turned to Amy,

" We'll have to use our scout powers, won't we?"

Amy nodded,

" Most likely, yes..."

Serena balled a fist and smiled triumphantly, marching toward the group,

" Okay! Then let's do it! Moon Crystal--"

" Hey, wait a minute!!"

They all turned to Kae, who folded her arms,

" What about me?"

* * *

Riku frowned and glanced around the cavernous room, eyeing no energy within the place, 

" Tobi? Tobi, are you here?"

_" What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?"_

Riku's eyes behind the blindfold as the words echoed throughout the room. Had he been able to see, he would've seen a large projection of his younger self on the wall behind him.

_" For that instant it was.....However, you can become stronger. You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger..."_

_" What should I do?"_

The silver-haired man lowered his head and clenched his fists as a voice drifted in from behind him, a voice he knew,

" It's really quite simple. Open yourself to darkness... that is all. Let your heart, your _being_, become darkness itself..."

Riku turned at this to see the now purple silhouette of Tobi leaning against the far wall and he straightened, his expression softening as the boy continued,

" So, were you ever gonna tell me... _Ansem's boy_?"

The blind one frowned sadly, feeling his heart begin to break,

" Kid--"

" Don't 'kid' me, Riku! I know everything! All your secrets... all your _lies_! Everything!!"

Tobi stepped into the dim light and clenched his gloved fists. A sleeveless, black, turtleneck now rested on his shoulders, and a pair of black slacks hung off his waist. Those slacks were tucked into a pair of heavy-duty, black, combat boots that laced up the front. The 20-year-old smirked, stepping forward a bit more,

" So, uh... how did it feel working for the darkness, _Riku_?"

Riku's heart stopped and he grunted, lowering his head in silence. Tobi laughed at this,

"Was it fun? Watching your best friend commit suicide in order to save the only girl he ever loved? Was it fun to see that girl suffer as she watched him die? Huh? How did you feel knowing that that girl would _hate_ you forever? But he$#, Riku! At least you got off the island, huh? That's what you wanted right? ' Look at us, we're finally free' just about sums up your feelings, doesn't it--"

The silver-haired man shook his head, his fists clenched tightly,

" No! No, it wasn't like that!! None of that was supposed to happen--"

" But it _did_, didn't it, Riku!?"

Riku swallowed hard, rubbing both temples with one hand,

" Yes... yes, it's true."

Tobi snorted, turning away from the man,

" You know... I thought I knew you. I looked up to you, I trusted you! I _believed_ every word that ever came out of your mouth, and you know what? I was naïve. I should've known my whole life was a lie--"

Riku stepped toward Tobi, a hard lump beginning to develop in his throat,

" Kid, that's not true. I only lied to--"

Tobi's eyes widened as he turned back to face the man,

" To what? Portect me? Riku, you raised me on a lie!!"

" My love for you is NOT a lie!!"

" You speak to me as though you're my father!"

Riku straightened at the boy's harsh sentence and lowered his head as the boy continued,

" You are NOT my father, _Riku_! You never were and you _never_ will be! You're just the guy who came along and said, ' Oh, hey! I wonder what it's like to improperly raise a child.' So, you took me from my mom and you raised me on a lie! Isn't that right, Riku?"

Riku remained silent, his fists tightly clenched. Tobi then shouted louder and with more venom in his tone,

" Isn't that _right_, Ree Koo!?"

" NO!!"

Tobi raised an eyebrow at the man's reaction and straightened,

" Oh really? Then just why did you take me from her, then? Were you the one who killed her?"

Riku burst out again, shaking his head fiercely,

" NO! I didn't kill her...." he said, his voice begin to crack,

" Kid... look, I... I found you in her arms. She was dead, and I... I wanted you to have a future. So I took you back to Midgar and I raised you, okay? How many times do I have to say this--"

" What about my father, Riku? Where is he?"

Tobi questioned the man with a biting quality in his voice. Riku remained silent at this.

" My father, _Riku_, where is he--"

" He's dead, too... He died with your mother."

The azure boy folded his arms and shrugged,

" Funny, you never mentioned him being there before--"

" Well, he was, kid," Riku interrupted.

The man then turned and ran a hand through his hair,

" He was the one.... he was the one that told me to take you. He told me to take you and so I did. Now, are you happy?"

Tobi shook his head, cracking his knuckles,

" No... no, Riku. I won't be happy until you're out of my life... for good."

* * *

Kae and Darien now stood in the center of the Scouts' circle, both standing back to back. Amy was the one to start it off, 

" Mercury Star Power!"

" Mars Star Power!"

" Jupiter Star Power!"

" Venus Star Power!"

Serena then closed her eyes, the brooch on her bow opening up to reveal a sparkling crystal,

" Moon Crystal Power!"

A brilliant light soon showered them all and the seven of them disappeared, reappearing behind the barrier. Kae groaned as the circle opened up and she covered her mouth,

" Remind me never to go on that ride again..."

Raye turned to the others and nodded,

" C'mon, you guys! Let's get going!!"

* * *

" Wh-What did you say?" 

Tobi smirked, then let out a harsh cry and barreled forward at Riku, claws extended murderously. Riku's eyes widened and he leapt out of the way, leaving the boy to scratch at the air. Tobi growled and turned to Riku, then disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. This was Tobi's tactic to catch people off guard, but Riku knew exactly what to expect from the boy. He turned again and leapt away, Tobi reappearing in his place, again only to swipe at the air. This made the 20-year-old furious,

" FIGHT ME!!"

He kicked his leg out at Riku, but the man simply dodged the attack and remained silent, angering Tobi even further,

" FIGHT ME, Da$$#T!!"

Riku shook his head sternly,

" No... not like this."

Tobi charged again, however, and managed to snag Riku's arm. The man yelped and grab the wound, leaping away. The cut was deep, he knew that because of how much it hurt to move it, and blood now freely flowed from his forearm.

Tobi flicked the blood from his claws and snarled at him viciously,

" Fight me or die."

* * *

A/N: Just a quick note. Those white thingies aren't in my story! And until they specifically say that those things are called 'Nobody', I'ma call the cloaked dudes whatever I please. Not trying to be rude, but that's what I think. So, please, don't ask me to stop calling the Unknowns Nobody, because until proven otherwise, that's what they are to me. Thank you. Please R&R. 


	54. Chapter FiftyThree

Chapter Fifty-Three

The group entered a long dark hall and stopped, spotting a potential dangerous man lurking near the end of it. The man stepped out into the open and revealed himself to be about the age of 19 or 20 with flaming red hair and burning emerald eyes. He then smirked, his gaze directed at Darien,

" Ah.... there you are."

Darien raised an eyebrow, then grunted and fell to his knees. Serena spun on her heel and gasped, falling to _her_ knees beside him,

" Darien!!"

She placed both hands on his shoulders and gazed at him with worried eyes, shaking him lightly,

" Darien! Darien, speak to me! Are you alright? Darien? Dari-ah!"

He suddenly shoved her away and she skidded back a few feet, the Scouts rushing to her aid,

" Sailor Moon!"

Serena groaned and glanced back at Darien. He was now standing and heading toward the stranger, completely silent. Her eyes widened and she bolted up, grabbing hold of his arm,

" Darien! Darien, where are you going!?"

He shoved her away and glared down at her,

" Away!"

When she hit the ground again, she gazed up at him with hurt eyes, more confused than anything. Kae growled and unholstered her guns, aiming them for his head. Smirking, he raised and closed his fist,

" Ah, ah, Princess..."

Kae's eyes widened as both of her pistols crumpled and all of her bullets fell to the floor with a tinny clatter. She then dropped the ruined guns and glared at him with utter hatred, clenching both fists tightly,

" I'll show you..."

The auburn-haired girl then charged at the man full force, her fist raised to slam into the base of his neck. However, Darien turned to her and raised a hand, easily blowing the unprotected girl backward with a powerful blast of cold wind.

Kae screamed as she hit the floor, her ratty coat flapping as she skidded a few feet from the rest of them. Serena pushed herself up and shook her head,

" Darien, what's happening to you? Why are you acting this way?"

The raven-haired man smirked, snorting,

" Stupid girl... it was my plan all along to bring you here. I just lost sight of that for a while..."

He then turned back to his partner and nodded,

" Axel, take these losers to Wise Man. I'm sure he'll be interested in meeting with them..."

Serena's eyes widened as she tried to stand and go after him, but the Scouts held her still,

" No, Sailor Moon! Don't!!"

Kae glanced up to see Axel coming toward them and growled, knowing all too well that she wasn't strong enough to fight against them....

* * *

Riku growled as the boy attacked again and raised his staff to block his kicks. Tobi clawed at the man and growled as he dodged it, watching him nimbly leap away. Spinning the staff in his hand, Riku crouched down and waved the boy on, frowning as Tobi charged him at full speed. He leapt high into the air and flipped over him, landing close to the floor as he performed a round-house kick across the glassy floor. Tobi leapt just in time and landed on the ceiling, growling down at the man. He then pushed away from his perch and kicked his leg out, intended to step on Riku's face.

Riku smirked and calmly waited until the last second, then grabbed the boy by the leg and flung him toward the far wall. Tobi spun himself in the air and landed perfectly on the wall, his crimson hair falling before his angry, golden eyes as he glared at Riku in spite. The boy then pushed away from the wall and landed in a charge toward his former mentor, claws raised high. Riku grunted and quickly readied his staff as the boy came running up to him, slamming it into his side. Tobi grunted as he flew sideways and skidded across the smooth, crystal floors. In an instant, he was up again, charging at Riku relentlessly.

At this point, Riku had become fed up with the battle and stood perfectly still as the boy came flying at him, closing his eyes,

" I've no idea what you saw...."

Tobi let out a battle cry as he came closer to Riku, prepared to strike. Riku then shot his arm out when Tobi was no more than two feet from him, grabbing hold of the boy's head with his eyes tightly shut,

" But I'm going to show you the TRUTH!!"

Tobi's eyes widened as a green glow suddenly covered Riku's hand and his mouth hung open in a mixture of speechlessness and pain...

* * *

Axel and the others stepped into the room, Axel's eyes widening at what he saw,

" Tobi!"

Tobi was stock still, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar. Riku had placed a hand on the boy's head and both were now glowing with vibrant green energy.

Kae blinked in surprise as a green image appeared on the wall of a younger Riku,

_' Hey, he was pretty cute... no, Kae! Stop that!' _

Tobi's eyes soon fluttered shut and the image finally began to move. The image swiveled around and a girl was now being shown. Kae's eyes widened as she noted that the girl vaguely looked like a younger version of her mother. Riku then began shouting frantically,

_" No... you won't... use me for this!'_

_-- 25 years ago--_

_Kairi held out her hand toward him, her eyebrows furrowing to a point in concern,_

_" Riku!"_

_He slowly raised his head and called out to her again,_

_" You've gotta run! The Heartless are coming!"_

_She stepped back hesitantly, only running at his nod. The ruby-haired Princess then turned and fled, Sora's friends, Donald and Goofy, accompanying her..._

_--_

_" Sora!"_

_The boy turned on his way toward the shack and frowned as he tossed him a small, yellow object. He then placed his hands on his hips,_

_" You wanted one, didn't you?"_

_Sora frowned down at it, raising an eyebrow,_

_" A paopu fruit?"_

_The fifteen-year-old cooly headed past his friend and nodded,_

_" If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives... no matter what."_

_He then laughed a little, smirking as he waved the boy off,_

_" C'mon, I know you wanna try it!"_

_Sora's confusion increased and he stuttered in defense,_

_" What? What are you...?"_

_He tossed the star-shaped fruit to the side as his friend began to laugh at him, then both ran off after Kairi. _

_--_

_Sora was now falling out of a strange sky, completely helpless. He laughed at his brunette friend, folding his arms as he gazed down from above,_

_" Giving up already? C'mon, Sora... I thought you were stronger than that!"_

_--_

_" Hey!"_

_Sora and Kairi turned to see him standing there, holding a log under his arm,_

_" Aren't you guys forgetting about me?"_

_He noted how lazy the two were getting and shook his head,_

_" So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft!"_

_He started over to Kairi, tossing the heavy log to a sitting Sora. Kairi giggled as he stepped up to her and he placed his hands on his hips,_

_" And you're just as lazy as he is!"_

_Kairi tucked some hair behind her ear and giggled again,_

_" Hee... so you noticed. Okay, we'll finish it together! I'll race you!"_

_He sat down beside Sora and rested his arm on his raised knee,_

_" What? Are you kidding?"_

_Kairi simply giggled again and proceeded to shout,_

_" Ready? Go!"_

_The two boys glanced at each other, then took off at a run, barreling down the beach as fast as they could with a giggling Kairi not far behind... _

_--_

_" You're wrong! I know now, without a doubt... Kingdom Hearts, is light!"_

_A sudden bright light filled his vision and he tried to shield his eyes, but the light kept coming through. Soon, he felt as though several weights were lifted from his arms and legs and the light sucked him in, warming his heart._

_The next thing he knew, he was standing behind a huge white door. The door was opened some and he could hear voices from beyond it,_

_" Stop staring and keep pushing!"_

_As he stepped closer, he could hear Donald's cry of panic,_

_" The Heartless! Hurry!"_

_He then heard Sora say the one thing that always drove him over the edge,_

_" I can't!"_

_Immediately, he ran to the door and grabbed hold from the other side,_

_" Don't give up!"_

_He glanced around the door to see Sora's startled face,_

_" C'mon, Sora! Together we can do it!"_

_Sora nodded and pushed at the door as he pulled back, Donald screaming again after a few moments,_

_" It's hopeless!"_

_There was a sudden commotion behind the door and the gathering Heartless behind him dissipated, Donald and Goofy both gasping at the figure now standing there,_

_" Your Majesty!"_

_Mickey raised a Keyblade of his own and nodded toward Sora,_

_" Now, Sora! Let's close this door for good."_

_Sora turned to Donald and Goofy, biting his lip,_

_" But--"_

_" Sora, you can trust King Mickey."_

_Goofy said, nodding reassuringly toward the boy. Turning toward the mouse king, the fifteen-year-old clenched his fists,_

_" Now, they're coming!"_

_Mickey turned to his two most loyal subjects and nodded,_

_" Donald, Goofy. Thank you."_

_Turning back to Sora, the silver-haired boy smiled,_

_" Take care of her."_

_Sora straightened, then nodded strongly. He then pushed the door shut, leaving his friend to the world of darkness..._

_----_

Kae was in tears as the images faded and gasped as Riku suddenly fell to his knees, tightly clutching at his heart,

" You were...?"

Tobi opened his eyes and gazed down at Riku, confused and concerned,

" Ri...ku?"

Riku was unable to respond as he took in many deep breaths to try and control his rapidly contracting heart. The boy knelt down before him and placed both hands on the man's shoulders,

" Riku! Are you alright!? Answer me!!"

" Tobi, what're you doing?"

They all turned to see Wise Man floating there, glaring straight at the azure boy,

" He lied to you! He's held you back for all these years! Remember, you said it yourself!"

Tobi growled, waving the cloaked man off,

" Cram it, Wise Man! Can't you see he's hurt?"

Wise Man then narrowed his eyes,

" Like I care what condition he's in!"

A strong wind then blew in their direction and the two flew backward, Riku landing a few feet farther from Tobi. Kae started toward the pair, her eyes wide in concern for them,

" Riku! Tobi!"

" Not so fast!"

Axel stepped before her and she clenched her fists tightly, knowing that he was too strong for her. She glanced around him in their direction and gasped. Tobi was now kneeling over Riku, who was face down, and shaking him,

" Riku! Riku, wake up!! Answer me, c'mon!!"

The man remained completely still, not even breathing from the looks of it.

Darien then shrugged and stepped up from behind Wise Man,

" Oh well. The competition was fun while it lasted..."

He then stepped up to Serena and smirked down at her,

" And in that case... let's not delay this any further."

The girl's sapphire eyes widened as he raised a dagger high above her, a silent scream escaping her lips as he brought the blade down in hopes of snagging her precious Ring...


	55. Chapter FiftyFour

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Four

The girl's sapphire eyes widened as he raised a dagger toward her, a silent scream escaping her lips as he brought the blade down...

" Gaccckk!"

Darien became completely immobile and Axel gasped, his eyes widening as their Master appeared behind him,

" Yes... let's not delay this."

He then pulled his spear from Darien's back, satisfied as the man fell into Serena's arms. Serena was in tears now, screaming out his name,

" Darien!! Darien, speak to me!"

The raven-haired man turned his gaze up to her and smiled weakly, his vision wavering,

" See ya 'round.... Meatball Head...."

His head then fell to the side and he let out one last breath, his body falling limp. Axel clenched his fists and grunted, stepping toward Darien as a light began to glow in Serena's palm. Kae took the opportunity to run to Tobi and she knelt down at the other side of Riku,

" Are you guys okay?"

A piercing scream brought them all back to reality and Wicked Lady staggered into the room. She was clutching her heart and flickering between an adult form and a small child, finally bursting into a cloud of dust. Serena shook her head and buried her face in Darien's chest,

" No!!"

The teen then burst into tears, unable to breath her sobs were so powerful. The other Scouts lowered their heads and silently mourned the deaths of their friends, then turned back to their killer. He was a man with silver hair and brilliantly golden eyes, his skin much tanner than anyone they'd ever seen. He wore the same cloak Axel wore and his black boots travelled up to his knees. Raye clenched her fists tightly, glaring up at him in anger,

" Who are you!?"

" An..sem..."

Tobi and Kae gasped as Riku began to push himself off the floor, the cloaked man turning their way. Ansem smirked, chuckling a little,

" Oh? So, I see you're still alive...."

Riku staggered toward him, his hand tightly clutching his heart,

" You...you..."

He then fell again and Tobi scrambled to help him,

" Riku!"

Ansem then laughed again,

" As foolish as ever I see... no matter. You'll be disposed of in time. As for right now, I really must be going. So, if you'll just hand that over..."

He outstretched his hand toward Serena and the tiny light in her hand floated up to his palm. Upon catching it, it transformed into a plain, silver ring. The man then turned and smirked at Riku, snapping his fingers,

" Goodnight, _boy._"

Ansem disappeared, the entire fortress beginning to crumble around them. Lakchine ran to Axel and tugged at his cloak,

" C'mon! We gotta get out of here!"

Axel gazed down at Darien's lifeless body, then nodded and the two disappeared as well. The Scouts began tugging at Serena, trying to get her to move,

" C'mon, Serena! We can't stay here any longer!!"

Serena, however, refused to move or answer them.

Riku cursed and raised his head weakly, Tobi helping him to his feet,

" We have to..... get back to...Trav..erse Town."

Kae nodded, stepping up beside the weakened man,

" Yeah! But how do we do that!?"

Riku began to raise his hand before him, but Tobi pulled it back down,

" Riku, no! If you try that, you'll die!!"

Riku frowned up at him,

" And if... we stay here, we'll all die! Would you rather....?"

Tobi shook his head, beginning to stutter,

" No... but--!"

" No 'buts'! And besides.... I swore to Sora.... that I wouldn't let anything happen to..."

He motioned toward Kae, too weak to finish his sentence. Kae's eyes widened, and she gasped,

" My father!? But when--"

" I'll tell you... when we get to Traverse Town."

Riku then raised his hand again and began to struggle with the darkness, his heart rate rapidly increasing as the portal increased in size,

" Get in..."

Kae nodded and stepped in, and he motioned for Tobi to do the same. Tobi did so, but with much reluctance, and he turned to the others in the room,

" C'mon...!"

They all shook their heads, Raye stepping forward,

" As Sailor Scouts, we need to stick together. Thank you, Riku-san, but I believe we can find our own way out."

Riku nodded and turned toward the portal. His strength suddenly gave out, however, and the portal shut on him.

* * *

Tobi gasped as he glanced around to find himself in a strange looking forest. Kae wasn't too far from him, but both snapped to attention as a loud whir sounded from the portal they'd come through and dissipated. Tobi's eyes widened and he shook his head,

" Riku, NO!"

Kae gasped, covering her mouth as the boy fell to his knees,

" Tobi..."

A young man peered at the two strangers through the foliage and frowned, the blue bandana around his forehead absorping his nervous sweat,

" Who are they...?"

He then shot up from his position and raised his bow and arrow as he stepped into the clearing.

* * *

Raye gasped and rushed to the silver-haired man's side,

" Riku-san!"

She knelt down and shook him a little, gasping,

" He's unconscious!"

Another rumble and the ceiling began to crumble, causing the girls to all scream in unison. Amy, Lita, and Mina hurried over to where Raye was, letting Serena have some space,

" What happened to him?"

Raye shook her head,

" I don't know! One minute he was fine and the next...!"

Amy nodded, turning to the others,

" There isn't much time. We've got to get him out of here!"

Mina nodded, frowning slightly as they all glanced back at their leader,

" But what about Serena? We can't leave her behind!"

Lita cracked her knuckles, nodding,

" Well, then... we'll just have to drag her out by force--"

Raye shook her head,

" Uh uh... we can't do that. Like Amy said, we don't have enough time left..."

" Then there's only one thing to do."

The four of them turned to see Serena standing behind them, her right hand tightly clutching her brooch. They all glanced back down at the incoherent Riku and nodded, forming a circle around him one last time...

* * *

A bright light was suddenly seen by two children on the shoreline. The kids screamed and ran back for the village, a pair of what looked to be soldiers rushing in to see what had caused their fright. A man cloaked in all black now lay on the beach, a tangled mess of stringy, silver hair covering his face. He was the only one the soldiers could see and they raised their pair of daggers, edging toward him slowly.

One of the two men, a well-tanned man with short, black hair and brown eyes, gulped at his partner,

" What if he's.. y'know? One of them...?"

His partner, a man with lengthy brown hair and green eyes, shrugged,

" Then I suppose, if he _is_ one of them, that the captain will be interested in meeting him, won't he?"

* * *

Tobi gasped upon glancing up to see a young man with a bow and arrow heading straight for them. Quickly, he jumped up and spread his arms out, blocking Kae from view. The man with the arrows frowned,

" Who are you?"

Kae rolled her eyes at Tobi's sudden protectiveness and gently shoved him out of the way,

" Excuse me, kid. But would you happen to know where the nearest town is? We're a little lost."

The man nodded, raising his arrows to level with her chest,

" Of course I do. And I already planned on escorting you their myself. My father will want to know of your plans..."

Tobi and Kae shot each other confused glances and Tobi gulped as the man came around behin them,

" Kae, I don't think this native's gonna be real friendly..."

Kae narrowed her eyes at the boy, then gasped as the arrow tip suddenly prodded her lower back,

" Hey!! Watch where you're sticking that thing!!"

* * *

" Captain!"

A man with gravity-defying, bright orange hair turned, raising an eyebrow as two of his men dragged someone over to him,

" What?"

His mahogany eyes twinkled brightly in the sunlight as he glanced down at the figure,

" Another one, huh? When will they learn?"

" Father!"

The man slumped his shoulders and turned toward his son's voice, groaning loudly,

" What...?"

The son, who looked near identical to his father, shoved to people toward him,

" I found these two in the woods. They seemed awfully suspicious to me."

The two were a boy and a girl. The girl he vaguely recognized and he raised an eyebrow as she glanced up at him,

" Kae?"

The girl's sapphire eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. She would've responded, but her azure companion interrupted her,

" Riku!!"

The wild-haired man then glanced down at the man his men had dragged in and gasped, kneeling down to take a look at his face,

" Riku?"

The silver-haired man weakly raised his head and frowned, his breathing laboured,

" Wakka....?"


	56. Chapter FiftyFive

A/N: Hello. It's me. I'm very happy right now, can't you tell?

I was subjected to about 20 little kids for three hours. Sounds fun, huh? They were so adorable. One said they wanted to come home with me. I felt loved. I then called my boyfriend (which is, like, rare for me. I hate the phone.). I finally heard his voice! I was so happy! He's been grounded for about 3 months now. I haven't seen him or heard his voice, man! I feel like cryin'. Oh, the happiness! So, pretty much, the overall happiness of this chapter is due to small children and a 16-year-old who acts like a small child.

I also watched Finding Nemo, too. Sweet? Totally. Enjoy

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Five

" So, how long has it been, ya?"

Riku smiled, now laying in a comfortable bed at a nearby house,

" Too long. How did you get off the island?"

Wakka smirked, folding his arms with a shrug,

" I sailed away. Me, Lu, and my son Chappu."

The silver-haired man nodded,

" I'm guessing you named him after your brother, huh..."

The tanned islander nodded in return, sighing softly,

" Yeah... Thought it'd be a good way to honour his memory."

Riku took in a deep breath, massaging his chest a little,

" Looks like you finally got your game out in the open..."

Wakka grinned,

" Oh, you mean the Blitzball thing? Yeah, it spread like wildfire! You are now looking at the captain of the Besaid Aurochs."

The silver-haired man laughed a little as Wakka's chest puffed up and shook his head,

" So, how long have you known Kae?"

Wakka smiled, glancing out of the door to see the girl playing with some of the island kids,

" Oh, Little Princess? I've known her since she was a just a baby, ya! Last time I saw her, she was only three and about 'dis high..."

He held his hand about two feet from the floor.

This made Riku laugh and he shook his head,

" Really? I find that hard to imagine... Say, Wakka?"

Wakka cracked his neck a bit,

" Ya?"

The silver-haired man gulped, sighing deeply,

" Did...uh... did Sora.... say anything when he came back? Like.... did he talk about me?"

The wild-haired islander nodded, folding his arms again,

" Oh yeah, he had _a lot _to say about _you_..."

Instantly, Riku's stomach turned and he lowered his head, nodding,

" I see--"

" He said, ' I hope Riku comes home soon, 'cause I wouldn't want him to miss 'da best years of his god-daughter's life.'"

Riku's eyes widened and he straightened, frowning at Wakka,

" He....he said that?"

Wakka simply smiled and stood up, heading out the door,

" You should rest now, ya?"

Then he was gone.

The silver-haired man smiled slightly, a few tears soaking into his blindfold,

" Well... what d'you know...?"

* * *

Kae smiled as she picked up the tiny bat and beat it against the ground, the kids grinning wildly,

" Okay, but don't cry when I win...!"

Tobi grinned and tossed a dirty sack full of rice into the air, shrugging,

" Aw, I dunno... Looks like your out-numbered on this one, Kae."

Kae raised an eyebrow at him with a smug look on her face,

" Tobi, please.... if I can handle a few dozen Heartless, I'm sure these kiddies will be no trouble."

The azure boy shrugged, his tail sweeping the dirt,

" Whatever."

He then reeled back and hurled the ball in her direction, the kids eagerly beginning to bounce about behind him. She swung as hard as she could, the sack colliding with the bat in a blur. A loud swack sounded throughout the town and the kids all began to scream in excitement and all ran after it as Kae simply walked the bases. Tobi folded his arms as she smirked at him, both her hands behind her back. There was a loud 'aw' and the kids all began to head home. Apparently, the sack had skimmed the ocean and sunk so far off shore that no child could retrieve it.

Kae then grinned and kept walking around the diamond, boasting at Tobi,

" Well, I'd hate to say I told you so... but... I did tell you. And as you can see, I'm now walking laps around you, clearly implying that _I_ have won, and _you_ are nothing but a presumptuous washout who was outdone by a girl!"

Tobi folded his arms, shrugging,

" Whoever said I needed that sack to get you out?"

Kae frowned, then let out a scream and ran as Tobi chased after her. The boy managed to shove her shoulder and she began stumbling. He'd shoved her a little too hard...

He gasped as she began to fall and dissipated, reappearing in front of her,

" Kae!"

The auburn-haired girl crashed into him, the momentum of her fall causing them both to hit the dirt. A small cloud of dust puffed up around them and they both began to cough, Kae pushing herself up into a sitting position. Tobi coughed, waving the cloud away,

" Kae...you okay?"

She nodded, then glanced down and blushed madly.

Tobi was lying beneath her, her legs stradling his stomach. He blinked up at her with a small smile before she shoved him in the chest,

" Pervert!"

The girl then stood and marched away, Tobi rubbing his chest as he sat up,

" Why!? Why am _I_ always the one who's the pervert!?"

A throaty laugh sounded from behind him and he glanced back to see the man from earlier standing there,

" She gets it from her aunt Selphie, I bet. That little fireball was always accusin' us of bein' perverts. I bet she had something to do with Little Princess' behavior, ya?"

Wakka then tapped his lip with his index,

" Oh yeah, speakin' of 'dem..."

He hurried after the girl and grabbed her shoulder, making her jump,

" Whoa! Easy, it's me!"

Kae turned with a smile and glared back at Tobi,

" Good! For a minute, I thought it was the _pervert_, again!"

Wakka laughed a little at that and shook his head, sighing deeply,

" Hey, K? How are Selphie and Tidus? And Aki? I been meaning to head back to 'da islands and check up on 'dem..."

Kae frowned up at him, confused,

" You mean, Riku didn't tell you?"

Wakka raised an eyebrow, questioning the girl,

" Tell me what? He only asked about Sora and Kairi.... oh! How are 'dey, anyway?"

Kae scratched her arm idly and gulped, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze,

" Wakka.... there's something you should know. I think you'll need to sit down."

* * *

Tobi sighed, walking with both hands behind his head as he took a look around the quaint little village. Children were free to go anywhere they pleased, within the town boundaries of course, and were not really picked on about their size, colour, or any other thing people could look down upon them for. This made the boy smile and he sighed, pausing as a little girl with a peach tail and strap-on, black cat ears ran past. She was a cute little thing, in her sleeveless, black trench coat with jade lining and tiny black boots to match.

She had short black hair that bobbed at her chin and she let out a yelp as her cat ears fell off, turning to retrieve them. The girl happened to spot him looking at her and straightened, batting her bright emerald eyes at him with a look of surprise on her face. Tobi frowned slightly, shifting uncomfortably under the tiny girl's gaze,

_' Is she... afraid of me?'_

The girl then picked up her ears and shot him a big grin, staying put for a moment. He smiled back and jerked as someone bumped his arm,

" Whoa!"

A young woman was now standing there and she apologized quickly,

" Forgive me! I didn't see you!"

The girl then glanced up at him and smiled, her blue and green eyes twinkling brightly,

" Oh, you're one of the newcomers, aren't you?"

Tobi nodded shortly and glanced behind him to look for the little cat girl. She was gone. The girl before him than spoke up again,

" My name is Yuna. What's yours?"

Tobi turned back to her, scratching his head with a smile,

" Uh... it's Tobi."

Yuna smiled, tucking some of her brown hair behind her ears,

" Well, it's nice to meet you Tobi. I'm sorry for bumping into you so abruptly! I was in a bit of a hurry..."

Tobi waved it off, acting cool for the girl,

" It's okay. No worries!"

Yuna giggled at his actions and held both hands behind her back,

" So, how do you like Besaid, so far--?"

" NO!!"

Both then turned sharply to see that a slight commotion had begun in the street. Wakka, who Tobi had met a few hours earlier, was now kneeling on the ground, fists tightly clenching around the dirt beneath his palms.

* * *

Kae lowered her head sadly, her eyes fixed on the mourning man,

" I'm sorry...."

Yuna covered her mouth and ran toward them, immediately kneeling down by him,

" Sir Wakka?"

" Wakka... what happened?"

Kae lifted her gaze from Wakka to Riku, who was now standing in the doorway. Tobi's eyes widened at this and he hurried over to Riku,

" Riku, what're you doing? Go back inside!"

Riku's blindfolded gaze immediately shot over to the azure boy and he snorted,

" You're not my mother!"

Tobi then paused and noticed the bandages wrapped tightly around Riku's arm. Immediately, his gaze shot away from the man and he turned for the outskirts of town, briskly walking away.

Riku's expression softened and he staggered after him, calling out weakly,

" Kid...!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest and he grunted, falling to his knees. This made Tobi turn around and he hurried back to him,

" Riku!"

Wakka glanced over at them in tears and pushed himself up, quickly heading for his friend,

" Riku..."

Tobi paused as Wakka helped the man up, gazing on silently as he lead Riku back inside. He then lowered his head and started for the beach, Kae calling after him,

" Tobi, wait!"

This time, the boy ignored them...

* * *

" It had to be done."

Axel's emerald gaze shot holes in the floor as his Master continued,

" He was a Ringbearer. In order to extract the ring from within him, Darien had to be extinguished..."

The red-haired Unknown nodded, biting his tongue so hard that he now tasted iron.

Lakchine was sitting in the corner of the room, hugging her legs tightly. She'd never seen anything like that happen before... especially not to one of her friends. The expression on his face when that spear dug into his back... it was terrifying! It made her queasy just thinking about it.

Axel coughed, taking in a deep breath,

" By any chance, would either one of _us _be the next Ringbearer?"

He motioned toward Lakchine, then turned his gaze to Ansem. Ansem smirked, then turned toward the window at the head of the table,

" No... I already have my sights set on _them_..."

* * *

Tobi gazed out at the ocean, his head resting on his knees. His mind was a lot like a sea at this moment, tossing and turning with images of the past few days. How could he have so easily turned to the darkness after just having witnessed Kae's struggle with it merely hours before? He straightened and ran a hand over his face, his legs falling to the sandy soil to form a diamond. Then, crossing them like a pretzel, he rested his elbows on his knees and pressed both thumbs to his mouth,

_' " Kid..."'_

Tobi shook his head, his lazy gaze watching the waves lap against the shore,

_' How can he want me around after what I did to him? I betrayed him for Pete's sake! I shoved his past in his face as though it were_ _a pie or somethin'... He _should_ hate me! H$#,_ I _hate me!! And I'm sure Kae hate's me, too...'_

" Hey."

The boy straightened and glanced back to find Yuna standing there, smiling at him. Sniffling, he wiped away his tears of self-resentment and turned his gaze toward the ocean,

" Oh, hey..."

Yuna placed her hands behind her back and stepped over to him, her blue, ankle-length skirt flapping in the soft sea breeze,

" What's wrong?"

Tobi shook his head, scratching his bare upper arm,

" Nothin'! What makes you think there is...?"

She sat down beside him and tilted her head, her gaze focused on him,

" Your friends are worried about you. I came to see if you were okay."

He nodded, his crimson bangs fluttering in the wind,

" I'm fine."

Yuna raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously, giggling as he spat some hair from his mouth,

" Sure you are! C'mon, Sir Tobi, you can tell me--"

" Sir!? No, no! It's just 'Tobi'."

Tobi's sudden outburst made Yuna giggle even more, and she nodded,

" All right, _Tobi_, tell me what's wrong..."

Meanwhile, crouching behind a nearby fern was Kae. Her sapphire eyes narrowed at the giggling girl and she growled lowly, then spun on her heel and marched off.


	57. Chapter FiftySix

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Six

Riku sighed as he gazed down at the wooden floor, unable to think about anything but Wakka's heart-wrenching cry from earlier. It had been a few hours since then and night had fallen, so in a little while, he planned to head out and explore the tiny village for himself,

_' It'll be the only chance I get without having everyone on my back!'_

Pushing away from the bed, he reached to grab his coat but heard the sounds of footsteps from beyond the curtain and cursed, dropping it immediately as he hopped back in bed. Quickly, he covered himself up and turned over, pretending to be asleep. His visitor was too smart for this, however, and easily saw through his little act,

" Nice try."

Muttering a curse under his breath, Riku turned over to find a woman standing there with a tray in her hands. She wore a black skirt that had many belts sewn to the front of it and her top consisted of a tight, black and beige stripe corset lined with fur at the collar. Riku noted without any repugnance that the woman had unusually large--,

" Wakka sent me in here to check on you. I've brought you some food."

Riku sighed, lowering his head sadly,

" I'm not hungry."

She nodded, stepping around the bed to set the tray down on the nightstand. The silver-haired man watched her from the corner of his eye, startled as she suddenly spoke up,

" My name is Lulu. I'm Wakka's _wife_."

Immediately the man coughed, looking her in the eye,

" Oh, I-I-I know! I wasn't trying to...."

Lulu then turned and quietly headed out of the room, ignoring his faltering attempts to explain to her why his eyes had been fixated on her breasts.

He coughed, scratching his head as he lay back,

" Well... that was different."

* * *

Kae folded her arms as she spotted Yuna and Tobi walking around the village. Yuna had her arm around Tobi's and her head was resting on his shoulder as they walked. He was saying something, but Kae was too far away to hear the conversation and at the sight of Yuna's giggles, she immediately surpressed the urge to hurl. The auburn-haired girl growled and spun on her heel, storming away as the two came closer,

" Baka...."

* * *

Tobi sighed, glancing back and forth from Yuna to the ground,

" And every time I try to be nice to her, she smacks me and screams, ' PERVERT'!!"

Yuna giggled, rubbing his arm a little,

" And you really like this girl?"

Tobi blinked, nodding as he glanced down at the brunette,

" Kae? Oh, yeah! She's great.... I hate watching her sometimes, though. She'll kick and scream at herself and it just.... it makes me feel sad, y'know? I mean... it makes me wonder how exactly she got like that."

Yuna nodded, sighing slightly,

" I remember my first love..."

Tobi immediately blushed, stuttering to correct the girl,

" Huh? N-no! Kae isn't--"

" _He_ was about your age, I believe... maybe younger. I smiled when I saw you because you kind of reminded me of _him_."

The azure boy nodded as she continued,

" _He_ was sweet... a little pig-headed sometimes, but _he_ cared for me very much. _He_ risked everything to protect me... and then _he_ was gone."

Tobi frowned, his tail twitching anxiously behind him,

" Where'd _he_ go?"

Yuna smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear,

" Home. I've constantly visited the Farplane to find _him_, but _he's_ never there..."

Tobi raised an eyebrow,

" The Far...what?"

Yuna frowned, then nodded in realization,

" Oh! I forgot! You're not from around here, are you?"

He simply shook his head. She then took his arm again,

" When someone dies, their souls become pyreflies. Those pyreflies are sent by summoners to the Farplane, a safe haven for all pyreflies."

Tobi nodded, glancing down at her clothing,

" Are you a summoner?"

Yuna nodded, smiling brightly,

" I sure am! About two years ago, I was on a pilgrimage to fight off a deadly fiend called Sin. I was to summon the Final Aeon and defeat Sin, but _he_ wouldn't let me, for if I summoned it, I would have died as well."

The azure boy nodded,

" I don't fully get what you're saying, but basically, _he_ fell in love with you and made sure to keep you alive, right?"

Yuna blushed, lowering her gaze to the floor,

" Well...yes."

He then smiled,

" Awwww, how sweet..."

This made Yuna giggle again, and she turned to face him, grabbing hold of both of his hands,

" So, how do you plan on winning over this girl of yours?"

* * *

Riku sighed, pushing up from the bed again,

" Well, I guess it's safe now..."

He picked up his cloak and zipped it up, quietly drawing the curtain back to make sure the coast was clear. He then cursed again and stepped back a little, eyeing Tobi and Wakka's friend, Yuna, on the street. Wakka considered Yuna as his little sister and he raised an eyebrow as she swung Tobi's hands before him,

_' Don't think Wakka's gonna like this...'_

* * *

" Win her over!? Are you crazy!? She'd kill me!!"

Yuna smiled up at him and giggled a bit, frowning playfully,

" You mean, you're not going to go after her?"

" Like I said, she'd probably scream 'PERVERT' and throw a pillow at my head! She likes to do that, y'know. I don't get why..."

The brunette laughed again and sighed,

" Well, I'm sure you'll win her over someday, but for right now,_ I _have to sleep."

She then leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, glancing back at him as she headed for home,

" Goodnight."

Tobi blushed, waving slightly as she walked away,

" G-G-Goodnight..."

He lightly touched his cheek and narrowed his eyes in thought,

" Yuna..."

* * *

Kae clenched her fists and snarled as the girl walked away, envy boiling in her veins. She then glanced back at Tobi to find him now smitten with the girl. This infuriated her even further and she gritted her teeth, then cooled off a bit and headed back for the village inn,

_' Chill, Kae... what does it matter to you if the stupid baka has a girlfriend or not. You don't like him, anyhow. He's just an arrogant, perverted, self-centered.... pig!'_

" Kae!"

Immediately, she spun on her heel and forced a smile,

" Oh... hey, Tobi. I didn't see you there...."

Tobi grinned at her and placed his hands behind his back,

" Well, uh... goodnight."

Her spirits fell further and she nodded, her smile slowly falling,

" G-Goodnight."

The blue boy then patted his left palm with the side of his right fist for a minute and turned away, heading in the same direction _Yuna_ had gone. Immediately, the girl cursed through her teeth and threw back the curtain, startled to find Riku standing there. Apparently, he'd been startled too and he tripped backward, falling to the floor,

" Whoa!!"

Kae rolled her eyes and stepped around him to get to the next bed,

" Idiot..."

Riku frowned at this and pushed himself up, wincing as a dull ache surged through his heart,

" Hey, what's got you... so riled up, eh?"

The girl picked up a night shirt and entered a separate room, closing the curtain behind her,

" None of your buisness!"

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow,

" It's Tobi, isn't it?"

Her head immediately shot back out from behind the curtain and she frowned, silent as he continued,

" I saw what happened."

Kae then pulled her head in and untied her shirt, letting it drop to the floor,

" And?"

" And I saw your expression when you came in here. You're upset about him and Yuna, aren't you?"

She jerked the shirt roughly over her head and unclipped her hair, letting it's auburn strands dance at her lower back,

" What's it matter to you, huh? You his matchmaker or something?"

" No," he replied cooly,

" I just want to help..."

The girl groaned and unzipped her shorts, letting them slide down her legs to the ground,

" Yeah? Well, I don't _need_ help, all right? I don't have any feelings for Tobi and that's that."

Riku grinned as she came back into the room, now where a lengthy, blue plaid shirt,

" I never said you did."

She straightened and glanced over at him as he laid down on his bed and turned over on his side, facing away from her,

" Oh, and you may want to give that shirt back to him when you're done with it. He doesn't like people borrowing his stuff..."

Kae gulped and glanced down,

_' This_ is _his...isn't it?'_

She then glanced back up and raised an eyebrow,

" Oh, Riku?"

He groaned in recognition. Folding her arms, she smiled,

" Why don't you take your coat off? Stay awhile?"

His eyes widened behind his blindfold and he quickly shot up and unzipped it, hurling it back at the chair. It hit the chair with so much force that the chair was knocked over, making a lot of noise as it hit the hard floor. Riku gulped and laid back down, pulling the sheets over his head as the girl began to laugh,

" Oh, shut up...!"

* * *

A/N: Okay, did NOT know that baby had a name. I haven't gotten anywhere close to beating FFX-2, so I pretty much am clueless and making up stuff as I go along. I can't get past Zanarkand... yes, I'm sad. So, anywho, this part of the story is gonna be confusing... probably. I have made a point not to say Tidus' name in this entire section. He will be known as _he_. And I was right about the Unknowns... partially. They aren't the Unknowns anymore, they're The Organization. Now just to proof that they're Nobody, too......


	58. Chapter FiftySeven

Chapter Fifty-Seven

The morning brought with it, a strange sort of happiness and relief to Riku. That was.... until he woke up. He opened his eyes to find a blurry, black thing before his eyes and began to panic, then remembered that it was just his blindfold and calmed down some. Once his second sight came back into focus, he found a huge, blue object creeping in the doorway. Groaning, he sat up slowly and yawned,

" Hey, Wakka..."

Wakka slumped over, groaning now himself,

" Man! How'd d'you know it was me? I thought you were blind, ya?"

Riku growled at his statement and shook his head, picking up his cloak and pulling it on,

" I am."

Wakka cringed, holding up his hands apologetically,

" Sorry, sorry... hey, where's 'dat boy who was with you yesterday? I haven't seen him this morning and I wanted to ask him somethin'..."

Riku laughed a little,

" Oh.. you saw him with Yuna last night, didn't you?"

The orange-haired islander immediately froze,

" What'd he do with Yuna!?"

Wakka then turned and stormed out the door in a rampage, Riku gulping as he stepped out after him,

" Uh oh..."

Quickly, he rushed out after Wakka and coughed, rubbing his chest a little,

" Wakka! Hey, Wakka, nothin' happened, okay? I watched them the entire time--"

" You were watchin' it!?"

Riku immediately stopped and backed away, scratching his head nervously,

" No..."

He then gulped as Tobi came into view. Wakka sped up his pace and he heard Tobi greet the man with a cheery voice,

" Hey, Wakka."

Quickly Riku motioned to Tobi, mouthing,

" Run away! Run away, now!!"

Tobi frowned at the silver-haired one's gestures, gulping as Wakka suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his turtle neck. Wakka, apparently, was furious,

" What did you do with Yuna!? I swear, if you even touched her wrong...!!"

Riku ran up behind Wakka and grabbed him by the arms, trying to pull him away from the now frightened boy,

" Wakka, Wakka, cool it!"

Wakka shoved him away, jerking Tobi closer to him,

" What did you do!?"

" Sir Wakka!"

Yuna now came running over and she placed a hand on the man's shoulder,

" What're you doing? Sir Wakka, let him alone!"

Tobi's eyes were wide by this point and he gulped, unable to look away from Wakka's intense stare. Riku grunted as he pushed himself off the ground, his hand clamped tightly on his shirt,

" Wakka..."

" Yunie!"

The group paused and all glanced behind them to see a blonde girl come running up behind them, smiling brightly. She wore a yellow bra-like top that tied together with bright orange string and a tiny, brown, drawstring skirt. A yellow belt with tan pouchs hung on her hips and a pair of white and blue cowboy boots adorned her feet. She had strange, white bows tied onto each of her arms as sleeves and a blue bandana tied around her head to keep her lengthy blonde strands of hair out of her face. Sections of her hair were braided and blue and pink beads were set in certain spots on the braids.

The girl also wore a long, orange and yellow scarf, and her swirly green eyes twinkled as she finally came to a stop,

" Hiya! Whatchy'all up to?"

Yuna smiled at her and giggled,

" Rikku!"

" What?"

Riku stepped up behind her and the blonde raised an eyebrow,

" She's talking to _me_. _My_ name's Rikku."

" Well, so is mine."

Rikku folded her arms,

" Well, that's nice, but she was talking to _me_."

The silver-haired man raised both his hands and began to walk away,

" Sorry! I didn't know it was a crime to respond to _your own _name..."

The blonde stuck her tongue out at him, then turned back to Yuna,

" Yunie! Yunie, look at this!"

She then pulled a tiny orb from one of her pouches and Yuna raised an eyebrow, taking it in both hands,

" What is it?"

Rikku grinned, her swirly eyes twinkling in the sun,

" It's a sphere! I think you may wanna check it out..."

Yuna frowned and peered into it as it began to glow, gasping as the image of a young man with dirty blonde hair showed up,

" Rikku, this is..."

The blonde 17-year-old nodded, placing her hands on her hips with a grin,

" Uh huh... Brother and I have been lookin' for spheres on the Celsius ever since the Calm started. When we found this one, I knew you'd have to come, too..."

Yuna frowned, shaking her head,

" But, Rikku.... I couldn't possibly--"

" Oh, c'mon, Yunie! You have to come! I mean, how much fun can _this_ place possibly be?"

Wakka frowned, releasing the bewildered boy from his grasp,

" Hey, you! I resent that!"

Rikku laughed and waved at him, smiling brightly,

" Oh, hey Tubby. How's Chappu?"

" I'm fine, thank you..."

A younger man with his father's hair smiled at her, walking up behind his old man,

" Hey, Rikku."

The girl giggled and twirled some hair around her finger,

" Hey... anyways, c'mon, Yunie! It'll be good for you to get out! Maybe we'll find him! That'd be great, wouldn't it?"

Yuna nodded, gazing into the small sphere,

" Yeah, but...."

" No, buts! You're comin' with us whether you like it or not!"

She then grabbed the girl by the wrist and began to drag her off, receiving little protest from her cousin,

" Oh, hey! Ouch, Rikku, you're hurting my wrist!"

" Well, then hop to it, sister! We ain't got all day!"

Yuna paused, glancing back at the village,

" Hold on! Can I bring some people along to help?"

Rikku turned, a bright smile on her face,

" Of course you can! The more the merrier!"

Yuna then hurried back to where Tobi was standing and smiled, her sparkling necklace jingling as she halted,

" Do you wanna come? You can bring Riku and Kae along, too..."

Tobi gulped, blushing a little as he turned back,

" Say, what do you guys think? You wanna check this thing out?"

Riku scratched his head, frowning,

" Kid, we don't have time to--"

" Aww, c'mon, Riku! It'll be fun! We won't have to worry about those stupid Rings for a while!"

" Like I said, we don't have time to--"

" I think we should go."

Kae suddenly interjected, stepping out of the inn. She was fully dressed now and her hair was tied up in it's usual style,

" It sounds interesting. We should do it."

Riku glanced over at her and smirked, whispering her way,

" You only want to go to keep an eye on Tobi and Yuna..."

He then received an elbow in the gut as she walked past.

Tobi's smile brightened and he turned back to Yuna,

" Great! Then we're in!"

Yuna nodded and took hold of his hand,

" C'mon then! Let's go!"

* * *

The small group boarded the ship and Rikku grinned, walking backwards before her cousin, 

" Wait till you see what I got for you. You're gonna love it!"

She then glanced over at Kae and cringed, noting the rattiness of her clothes,

" Oi! We're gonna hafta get you some new clothes!"

Kae growled, folding her arms as the group reached a grand ship.

Tobi's jaw dropped and Yuna giggled,

" You like it?"

He nodded, eyeing the gorgeous aircraft with wide, golden eyes. It looked like it was built for racing with the many fins and wings protruding from it's sleek surface. It boasted a red and blue paint job that glimmered in the sunlight, silver linings gleaming in the reflection of the gentle ocean waters.

As they boarder the ship, Riku found his heart strangly beginning to flutter as Yuna walked past. He frowned,

_' That was...weird.'_

Rikku grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her onto the ship, smiling the entire way,

" C'mon!"

Yuna nearly tripped as the two ran up the ramp, the yellow bow of her obi bobbing behind her. The blonde led her down a hall to a huge closet and opened it, giggling,

" Well?"

Inside, there were many sets of clothes hanging up and Yuna shrugged,

" They're very...nice?"

Rikku shook her head impatiently and shoved the girl inside, slamming the door shut behind her,

" Choose one!"

Yuna let out a yelp and a rack of clothes fell on her, making her scream,

" Ow!"

Rikku opened the door back up and giggled at the sight of her cousin. There were tons of clothes hanging from the girl's head. She stepped inside and shut it behind her,

" Here, I'll help you..."

* * *

Tobi blinked in awe at the vastness of the ship and let out a whistle, a girl standing by the wall glancing over at him. She had red eyes and grey hair, her clothes consisting of black leather, silver buckles, and many skulls. He gulped, instantly becoming nervous under her gaze, 

" Uh... Did I...startle you?"

She picked up the sword right behind her and slung it over her shoulder,

" Chill."

The girl then silently left the room and headed into the hall. Tobi gulped as Kae came up behind him and scratched his head,

" A little touchy isn't she?"

Kae simply stared at him, then turned away and headed after her. He cringed, glancing toward a boy sitting at a nearby computer,

" So are you, apparently..."

Riku came up behind him and glanced around in amazement,

" Wow, what is this thing? The Starship Enterprise?"

" It's called the Celsius."

A man said sternly and glared at them, mostly at Riku rather than Tobi,

" What are _you_ doing here?"

Riku raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly,

" Me? Do I know you?"

He shook his head,

" No. But one of your men has been after Lady Yuna for quite sometime now. I thought Wakka was supposed to be protecting her, not feeding her to the sharks--"

" Hey, look! I'm not after Yuna's life, pal! Infact, I'm grateful she's been helping me these past two days."

Tobi nodded, folding his arms,

" Yeah! And beside that, she asked us to come! Why would she invite us on your ship if we were out to kill her?"

The man then turned and headed back for the controls, grumbling as he sat back down in his seat.

" Don't worry, that's just Buddy!"

Both Tobi and Riku jumped as Rikku suddenly sprung up behind them,

" He's harmless. C'mon! Lemme show you to your rooms!"

" Um, Rikku?"

The blonde glanced up and clasped her hands together as Yuna stepped into the room.

The brunette looked completely different then she had just hours before. She now wore a revealing, white top that had a strange symbol in the center and it attached to a bright pink hood. A bit of pink cloth crept out from underneath the white top and a tan band wrapped around her, just beneath the strange symbol. A set of gold arms bands were laced to her arm and a black snap-on band adorned her left wrist. She still wore her necklace and it twinkled brightly in the overhead lights of the ship.

Her hair had been partially braided and wrapped in pink material, while the other part had been cut and frayed around her face. The braid tied at the end with a piece of pink and white cloth and a blue ribbon. She now wore mini shorts instead of an ankle-length skirt and a long piece of blue and white cloth was tied on at her hip. A tan pouch also clung to the girl's hip. Her boots were a deep navy in colour and travelled up to just below her knees, laced by pure white string.

A pair of pistols were in the girl's hands and she frowned,

" I don't think all of this is necessary..."

Rikku smirked, patting the girl on the shoulder,

" Of course it is, Yunie! What if we run into a bunch of fiends on this trip? Who would fight them off?"

Yuna nodded,

" But the clothes?"

" They fit you don't they?"

" Well, yes... but--"

" Good! It looks great on you! Better than that frumpy, old, summoner outfit, anyway..."

Yuna giggled,

" Hey! I love my frumpy, old, summoner outfit. Leave it alone!"

Rikku then shrugged and headed out the door, spotting Kae in the hall,

" Now, to change your outfit."

The 19-year-old shot the blonde an incredulous glare as she bounded up, yelping as she was dragged down the hall by the wrist,

" H-Hey! Where are you taking me?"

* * *

After leaving Kae in the closet to choose a new set of clothing, Rikku and Yuna had taken Riku and Tobi to their room. The room was very spacious and had three beds, as well as an upper level. The upstairs was for them, while the downstairs was for Rikku, Yuna, and their new member, Paine. Paine was sitting on her bed sharpening her sword as the four came into the room. Rikku smiled at her and waved shortly, 

" Hi, Paine."

The bloody-eyed girl glanced up for a moment, then went back to sharpening her weapon. She gulped, then shrugged and lead the others upstairs,

" Well, here ya are! Three beds for three dopes--"

Yuna turned and frowned at the girl, tilting her head a little,

" Rikku!"

The bouncy blonde shrugged and headed back down to the closet,

" What? They look like dopes to me!"

Yuna shook her head and turned back to see the azure boy gazing at the space, dumbfounded. His friend, the other Riku, was gazing out the window at the passing clouds. He seemed so sad.

Upon hearing a shout from downstairs, Tobi grinned and bounded after it,

" Oh, man! I can't _wait_ to see how stupid she looks!"

Yuna waited until she no longer heard his footsteps to head over to the silver-haired man,

" Hey... what's wrong?"

Riku straightened and turned to her, offering a smile,

" Huh? Oh, nothing's wrong, it's just.... it's beautiful up here."

Yuna placed her hands behind her back and grinned, playfully suspicious of him,

" Nice try, but you can't fool me," she giggled a little,

" Now, what's wrong?"

The silver-haired man sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed, gazing out the window. He pressed his fists to his lips and closed his eyes, wincing at the sound of a woman's screams. Flashes of red fluttered through his memories and rain was heard pattering against a leather coat. A young woman with chestnut hair and mahogany eyes was now lying lifeless on the ground and he called to her, his voice echoing coldly back to him,

_' " Tifa!"'_

" Hey."

He snapped out of his memory and turned to see Yuna sitting beside him. From the tone in her voice, he could tell he clearly had worried her. Riku smiled, shaking his head,

" Don't worry. I'm perfectly fine."

Yuna pouted and opened her mouth to say something when laughter was suddenly heard errupting from downstairs.

The laughter came from Tobi,

" You're not _actually_ planning on wearing _that_, are you!?"

Kae entered the room, Tobi mocking her from behind,

" What!? Are you saying I look bad?"

She now wore a sleeveless, black trench coat that zipped up the front. It was lined in maroon as were her new black, zip-up boots. Her gloves were black and fingerless with maroon padding, and a pair of black shorts hugged her hips tightly. The only thing of her own that she wore now other then her necklace was her gun holsters and they were completely useless. Rikku folded her arms, shrugging at Tobi's laughter,

" I think she looks good!"

Yuna smiled, nodding as she stood to face them,

" As do I. You look wonderful, Kae."

Kae turned to Tobi and stuck out her tongue,

" Nyah, nyah!"

The girl then frowned and shook her head as she walked over to the last bed,

" Nyah, nyah...?"

Rikku and Yuna began to laugh, while Tobi and Riku were left in confusion. Had that really come out of the stone cold girl they'd been travelling with for nearly a month and a half?

* * *

" Have all the preparations been made?" 

Axel stood grimly behind Ansem, nodding slightly,

" Yes, sir."

Ansem smirked, a flash of lightning shining brilliantly in his golden eyes,

" Fetch him."

* * *

A/N: Hello all and Happy Halloween. I'm going to a couple parties so I may not be able to update until after, so I'm just sayin' it now. I love you all! And to **Merielle**, I think you should give Ken a rabid monkey. Those are fun.... 


	59. Chapter FiftyEight

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Rikku groaned, puffy white clouds passing by swiftly in the night air,

" 'Are we there yet'?"

Her brother, Brother, shook his head,

" 'Not yet'."

Tobi raised an eyebrow, leaning toward Yuna in confusion,

" Uh... what're are they talking about?"

The 19-year-old brunette giggled, whispering to him with a smile,

" They're speaking Al Bhed."

The azure boy nodded, then frowned again,

" Oh... what's Al Bhed?"

Yuna laughed a little louder this time, gaining a sigh from Brother. Rikku then folded her arms and thwapped her brother's blonde head, the older sibling letting out a cry in pain.

Tobi shook his head at this and Yuna smiled, glancing up at him as she grabbed hold of his wrist,

" C'mon, I want to show you something!"

He stumbled a bit as she dragged him out of the room. She led him down the hall and to a rising platform, giggling as she pressed a button reading, ' Deck',

" This'll be fun."

Tobi raised an eyebrow, stumbling as the lift began to move. Upon stopping, Yuna led him through another room, one full of windows that had a small seating area in the center of it. Few people were up here, so she led him up another set of stairs and through a huge, sliding door. Yuna giggled as she ran out on deck, the strong winds blowing through her hair,

" Buddy doesn't want anyone to come out here. He says it's too dangerous!"

Tobi nodded as he stepped out nearly stumbling at the sudden wind beating at his body. Yuna hurried over to him, grabbing hold of his arm,

" Careful!"

She helped him regain his balance, giggling as he scratched his head in embarassment.

The brunette then turned and walked down toward the eagle statues at the end of the platform,

" This was _his_ favourite place... I remember because _he_ said that it was the closest _he_ could get to heaven without having to die. I don't think _he_ knew that that was how I felt about _him..._"

Tobi stepped up behind her and smiled in sympathy,

" I'm sure _he _did, Yuna."

She spun on her heel, the beads in her hair clacking together. Her eyes were wide and she lowered her head with a smile,

" You think so?"

Tobi nodded at her, folding his arms,

" I _know_ so."

Yuna giggled, placing her hands behind her back,

" You're really sweet, y'know that?"

The boy blinked at this and she stepped up and pecked him on the cheek, smiling as she headed for the door,

" Well, we'd best get inside before Buddy spots us."

* * *

Kae _had_ spotted them, however, and she found a deep, burning hatred growing in her heart for Yuna. The girl was too friendly, too nice... too involved with Tobi. The auburn-haired girl shook her head and sighed, marching with folded arms toward the Cabin,

_' Stop that, Kae! You don't care about him! So what if he and Yuna.... like.... each other. It doesn't mean anything!'_

" And even if it did, I wouldn't care anyway."

She pressed the button to enter and gasped, startled as someone called out her name,

" Kae!"

She spun on her heel and felt her heart lurch,

" Oh... hey, Tobi."

Tobi smiled and stopped, both falling silent for the moment. He then cleared his throat,

" Aren't you gonna go in?"

Kae jumped to attention, nodding firmly,

" Oh! Oh, right! I was thinking you'd just cut in front of me, knowing you..."

He shook his head and walked past her, making her roll her eyes,

" Kind of like that."

Entering the room after him, Kae frowned at the sound of someone cursing,

" Do you hear that?"

The azure boy frowned, nodding,

" Yeah... I do."

They both then slowly headed upstairs and peered around the wall, each raising an eyebrow. There sat Riku, seemingly gazing out the window at the clouds. His head was pressed against the glass and he muttered a swear every few minutes. Tobi straightened and entered the room,

" Riku?"

The man ignored them. Quietly, Tobi disappeared and reappeared beside Riku, calling again,

" Riku?"

" D$$#..."

Kae and Tobi frowned at each other, then the boy carefully reached up and untied Riku's blindfold, gasping as it slid off his face.

The auburn-haired girl padded over silently, kneeling at his other side,

" He's...?"

Tobi snorted, quietly laughing,

" Yeah.... he's asleep!"

" #$#k off..."

Both Kae and Tobi laughed a little as the man's dreams dragged on, his swears becoming louder with every word he said. Kae sighed, sitting at the edge of her bed and staring at him, amused,

" I wonder what he's dreaming about."

Tobi shrugged, laying back with both hands behind his head,

" I dunno. Maybe some trolls are trying to eat innocent ponies."

The auburn-haired girl burst out laughing, causing the boy to frown. She then shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes,

" Nothing...."

Tobi glanced over at her and smiled, almost startled to receive a smile back from her. They were both silent as they gazed at each other, confused at what this silent moment really meant. Eventually, Tobi sat himself up and stood, stepping over to sit down with her,

" Kae...I--"

They were both startled as Riku suddenly jumped, cursing loudly as his head slammed into the window,

" $#it!!"

Kae began to laugh and she shook her head, sighing as the man stood. Riku rubbed his head sorely and exited the room, grumbling under his breath about,

" Stupid chocobos..."

The auburn-haired girl then turned her gaze back to Tobi and felt her heart pause,

" You... wanted to tell me something?"

The azure boy gulped, scratching his head slightly,

" Uh... nevermind."

He then marched back downstairs and out of sight. Kae sighed, brushing her bangs from her face. She then let her hands fall to her lap and glanced down at her parents' twinkling rings sadly.

" He likes you, y'know."

The auburn-haired girl's head shot up and she spotted Rikku standing there. The blonde grinned, then took in a deep breath,

" But I bet you already knew that, huh?"

She then turned and headed downstairs. Kae blinked, confused at the warmth now tugging at her cheeks. If she'd had a mirror, she'd have seen that they were now bright pink...

* * *

Tobi sighed, leaning back against the wall beside their door. Tilting his head back, his golden eyes twinkled in the ship's overhead lights, his tail twitching eagerly behind him,

_' Don't be stupid... she doesn't like you that way. He$#, I'm sure she doesn't like you any way at all...'_

" She's blushing up there, just so y'know."

The azure boy jumped to see Rikku enter the hall. She grinned, turning to the bewildered boy with a raised eyebrow,

" I think she likes you."

Tobi blinked as the blonde walked on past toward the bridge. The boy frowned, glancing back toward the room. He clenched his fist and stepped toward it, then let out a sigh and slammed it against the wall, quietly walking away.

* * *

Rikku entered the bridge and grinned as Yuna hurried over to her,

" Did it work?"

The blonde shrugged, folding her arms lightly,

" We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

Riku had taken the lift to the deck, his silver bangs whipping him in the face. Leaning back against the wall, he folded his arms and sighed, unwillingly closing his eyes.

_' " Tifa!"'_

_--_

_A fourteen-year-old girl turned around, her chestnut hair lightly brushing against her lower back. He smiled at her and she grinned, running to him at full speed,_

_" Riku!"_

_The girl crashed into him, Hikari's laughter filling the bar with a sense of happiness. Tifa gazed up at him with bright mahogany eyes, holding tightly to his stomach,_

_" Did you bring me anything?"_

_He simply laughed at this and pried her away from him, shaking his head,_

_" Nope. Just came here to pick up Hikari."_

_Tifa's smile faded and she stepped aside, scratching her arm as he walked on past. Stepping up to Hikari, he smiled, folding his arms,_

_" So, how about we go home now, huh?"_

_The ebony-haired girl nodded and headed on out the door. He paused upon seeing Tifa's look and smiled, stepping over to her,_

_" Hey."_

_The young teen glanced up and gasped upon seeing a rose in his hand. She took it thoughtfully and glanced up at him as he headed on out the door,_

_" You should smile once in a while," he said,_

_" You're too pretty for a frown."_

_Then all at once, a series of red blurs blocked out the rest of the memory and he heard her cry out in pain, calling his name,_

_" RIKU!!"_

_--_

Riku jumped as the door slid open beside him and raised an eyebrow to see Tobi's purple silhouette step out. The boy walked right past him and toward the end of the platform, swearing under his breath,

" Who the he$# am I kidding?"

" Something wrong?"

Tobi jumped and spun on his heel, his tail twitching as the breeze danced through his locks,

" Huh? Oh, no! Nothing's wrong...."

Riku raised an eyebrow and smirked,

" Nice try, kid, but after spending 20 _long_ years _raising_ you, I think I can pretty much tell when something's wrong with you."

The boy sighed, dragging his feet back toward Riku and sat down by the door,

" You wouldn't understand."

At that Riku began to laugh and Tobi frowned as he glanced up, the man quickly composing himself,

" Oh... that _wasn't_ a joke?"

The boy shook his head and sighed, now gazing at the sky before him through squinted eyes. Taking in a deep breath, Riku sighed and sat down beside him, resting his arm on his knee,

" So, what's wrong?"

Tobi bit his lip and glanced over at Riku, then frowned,

" It's hard to say."

" It's a girl, isn't it?"

Tobi immediately lowered his head, fidgeting furiously much to Riku's amusement,

" N-No! What gave you that idea!?"

The man shrugged, gazing at the boy's silhouette,

" I don't know... I just saw you with Yuna earlier and I kinda figured..."

They were then silent for a few moments, Riku sighing deeply.

" It's Kae."

He glanced down at the boy in surprise,

" Kae? Really? Wow...."

Tobi raised an eyebrow at Riku, his tail snapping about like a whip beside him,

" What?"

Riku shrugged,

" I dunno... I just... didn't think you liked her type."

" Her type?"

" Yeah, you know! Aggressive... in a cruel and violent sort of way."

The azure boy laughed and shook his head,

" Yeah... well. It's not like it matters, anyway. She doesn't even like me."

The silver-haired man straightened with a frown,

" Really? Didn't seem that way earlier..."

Tobi straightened, his golden eyes wide in shock,

" Seriously!? What did she say to you!? How do you know!? I mean.... oh, really now? How so?"

Riku shook his head with a smile and turned to him,

" Well, you remember back in Agrabah when you nearly drowned in that cavern?"

The boy stiffened, cracking his neck in annoyance,

" I'd very much like to forget about that, but yeah, I remember... why?"

" Well, when I brought you up and you weren't breathing, Kae was trying everything she could to wake you. She was _completely_ frantic and I swear, if you looked hard enough, you could see tears in her eyes."

Tobi nodded thoughtfully, smiling,

" Uh huh... tell me more."

Riku snorted, shaking his head,

" What makes you think I know more!?"

The boy shot him an incredolous glare,

" Because...! You're _Riku_! You pay attention to every little detail! Even the ones that _aren't _there!"

Riku looked away from the boy,

" I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

Kae sat on her bed, lightly touching her fingertips to her cheek. Her mind was completely blank at the moment and she had no real earthly idea on what was what anymore,

_' Does Tobi like me? No! That's impossible! And even if he did like me, I don't like him, anyway! So, it doesn't really matter if he likes me or not, because my feelings for him are not serious. Hold on! I don't have feelings for him, so how can they not be serious if they don't even exist? What? Hold on.... d$$#! I just confused myself...'_

Sighing deeply, she unzipped her cloak and let it drop to the side of the bed, then grabbed her bag and rummaged through it for her night shirt,

_' Tobi's shirt actually... why exactly do I still have it!?'_

She shrugged, shaking her head as she slid it on, buttoning it up slowly,

_' Maybe I should give it back to him... I mean, doesn't he want it back or anything?'_

Without another thought, the girl took off her shorts, boots and gloves, then hopped into bed, laying silently for a little while. Eventually, she remembered to take her hair down and sat up, stuffing the clip into her bag as well. Sighing, she then lay back and closed her eyes, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

--

_" I'm here to take you home, Darien."_

_The boy blinked, glancing up at him in confusion as the other kids in the orphanage played behind him,_

_" Home?"_

_The green-eyed Nobody nodded, smiling at him brightly,_

_" Where you'll have a family."_

_Darien nodded silently, letting the blonde Unknown lead him out by the hand,_

_" A family..."_

_-HQ-_

_" I'll teach him everything I know. Don't worry. I see great things ahead of him, sir."_

_The man in the cloak turned sharply to him, glaring at him with glowing, yellow eyes,_

_" But he's merely a child--"_

_" Then he has time to sharpen his skills. I know I can turn Darien into a great warrior. Just give me a chance! He's a much needed asset to our cause."_

_Nodding, his Master turned his back to him, gazing out the window calmly,_

_" Put him in a room beside Lucrecia. I believe those two will get along quite well..."_

_The blonde nodded and quickly hurried out of the room. Darien was still standing in the hall where he'd left him, eagerly awaiting his answer,_

_" Well?"_

_Smirking, he crouched down with a short nod,_

_" You're stayin'!"_

_The blue-eyed boy smiled brightly and clamped his arms around the crimson-clad Unknown, grinning as the blonde lead him down the hall to his room._

_-Training-_

_" Am I really gonna hafta fight people, Z?"_

_The Nobody nodded to the 5-year-old,_

_" 'Fraid so, little buddy. But it's not so bad. Men like to see blood and guts. You're a man, right?"_

_The boy nodded triumphantly,_

_" Yessir! I'm a man!"_

_This made the green-eyed man smile brightly._

_-Agrabah-_

_" So, what are we gonna do here?"_

_He glanced down at the boy with a grin,_

_" Our first battle."_

_Darien smiled back, bouncing up and down with excitement,_

_" Oh boy! Is there gonna be blood and guts and stuff? Just like you said in training!?"_

_The man nodded, smiling as he spotted the royals in the path ahead,_

_" Absolutely..."_

_-HQ-_

_" Here you go, sir! The body of a sultan, just like you asked."_

_Ansem glanced up from his conversation with a miniature Axel and nodded, grinning with approval,_

_" I see. So, you've proven me wrong. I congratulate you. Now, where's the child's Ring?"_

_Coughing, he ran a hand through his hair and gulped harshly,_

_" I'm afraid she got away, sir. But no worries. We'll get her in time, I'll make sure of that."_

_" You had better."_

_Nodding shortly, he glanced down as Ansem ushered little Axel away and frowned,_

_" Hey, little buddy. What's wrong?"_

_The 5-year-old sniffled, his face red with tears,_

_" It's my sister..."_

_-Lucrecia's Room-_

_A little girl with stringy blonde hair lay on the huge bed, bundled in sheets. She coughed harshly, Axel bounding up beside her anxiously,_

_" 'Chine?"_

_Darien turned his gaze to the emerald-eyed Nobody and frowned,_

_" Hey, Z?"_

_" Yeah, Darien?"_

_" Why do we have to kill people? Isn't it bad?"_

_The Unknown gazed down at Darien silently, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar. He stumbled over explanations in his mind, then shook his head and nodded towards the sick 3-year-old,_

_" Why...Why don't you go see how Lakchine's doin'?"_

_-A few years later-_

_" Hey, Z? Where ya goin'?"_

_He remained silent and kept packing his items into a duffel bag, the boy becoming more frantic with each question,_

_" Z?"_

_The blonde stopped, turning to the boy with a grim look on his face,_

_" Darien. Listen to me now and listen good."_

_He knelt down and placed both hands on the 11-year-old's shoulders, glaring him square in the eye,_

_" Remember what you asked me when you were a kid? ' Why do we have to kill people, isn't it bad?' Well, killing IS bad. Don't ever harm another soul as long as you live... no matter what he tells you, alright? Don't do it no matter what he says!"_

_Darien raised an eyebrow, jumping as the sound of a strong voice came from behind them,_

_" Zero."_

_He glanced up at the bearer of the voice with wide eyes, taking in a deep breath,_

_" Vixen."_

_" The Master has requested to see you. When you did not comply, he ordered me fetch you. You must come now."_

_--_

A set of emerald eyes glowed brilliantly in the torch lights of the dungeon, glaring at the luminous white door before him. It seemed ominous as he approached it. Taking in a deep breath, Axel pulled a set of keys from his coat pocket and sighed, searching for the correct one to place in the keyhole. Upon finding it, he set it in the lock, nearly jumping out of his skin as the prisoner from within the cell began to speak,

" Where's Darien?"

Axel lowered his head, hesitant to answer,

" He's.... he's dead."

The prisoner nodded as Axel opened the door, the fire light now glowing softly on his golden mane,

" I see."

He then stood and stepped around Axel, the shackles on his wrists jingling softly as his blood red cloak flapped in the breeze of his walk. The fiery haired Unknown took in a deep breath as the blonde man passed, closing the cell door behind him.


	60. Chapter FiftyNine

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Tobi and Riku finally came back inside a few hours later, the boy beaming with happiness. His mind was a mess of things, mostly things related to Kae, but other things as well. One of those other things was Tifa. As a child, he'd loved her like a big sister because she was always there for him and he had secretly planned a way to make her and Riku fall in love and get married. Later on in life after Tifa's death, the boy would look at photos of her and realize that he himself was the one he wanted her to be with, not Riku.

Tobi had never gotten the logic in his childhood reasonings, but fact was fact. He'd been in love with Tifa. Now, he was in...like... with Kae. Something in the pit of his stomach told him that liking her was wrong and that he should stay devoted to Tifa, so now, he was torn between the two. Wise Man's offer to bring Tifa back for him had sounded nice, but having to choose between the brunette beauty and Riku's life had been the breaking point. There was no way he'd ever be able to kill Riku. Not only was he not strong enough, but he cared to much for his friend to ever hurt him,

_' Oh great... here comes the guilt again.'_

Tobi glanced over at his silver-haired friend and frowned. Riku had taken his cloak off outside and was wearing a pair of black pants and a white tank top, so the boy could easily see the bandages on the man's arm. Riku glanced over at the kid, noticing him staring at it,

" Hey."

Tobi glanced up and blinked,

" Huh?"

The silver-haired man smiled, ruffling the boy's crimson hair,

" It's rude to stare."

Tobi pouted and smoothed out his ear-length hair then sighed,

" Shut up..."

The boy then smiled, his heart filling with relief. This was Riku's secret way of saying, '' I forgive you''.

As the two entered the lower bed room, Tobi saw that Yuna and Rikku were already asleep. He motioned over to Riku and the silver-haired man nodded. Both then quietly headed over to the stairs and silently padded up to the top floor. Tobi peered through the dark and spotted Kae lying in the bed by the wall. He headed over to her silently and stood over her sleeping form, a smile crossing his lips. The auburn haired girl was even more beautiful than usual. She was wearing his one of overshirts buttoned about halfway, her legs barely being covered by the soft, cottony fabric. Her waist-length, auburn hair had settled around her body like a halo, placing in his mind, the image of a sleeping angel lying before him.

He stiffened as she turned over toward him, the smile on her face indicating that she was having a good dream. She then shivered and he pouted, grabbing hold off the covers she'd kicked off the bed. Pulling them up over her, the girl softly brushed her fingers against his hand to grab them. Tobi smiled and gently ran his hand through her hair, then turned to his bed and raised an eyebrow. Riku was smirking at him from the doorway.

" What?"

The silver-haired man snorted, shaking his head,

" Nothing. Just thinking to myself..."

He then turned and headed back downstairs. Tobi rolled his eyes and hopped into bed, immediately glancing over at Kae. Sitting up in bed, he hunched over and rested his elbows on his knees, gazing at her thoughtfully,

_' I wonder what she's dreaming of...'_

_

* * *

_

_----_

_" Daddy?"_

_" Yeah, Princess?"_

_A four-year-old Kae lay on top of her father on the couch, frowning slightly,_

_" Why do you sleep so much?"_

_" Because I'm tired."_

_" Why are you tired?"_

_" Because I've had a long day."_

_" A long day doing what?"_

_" Working."_

_" Why do you have to work?"_

_He smiled at this question,_

_" So Mommy will shut up."_

_" So Mommy will do WHAT now!?"_

_Kae glanced back and spotted her mother at the foot of the couch. Her father's eyes shot open and he gulped,_

_" So Mommy.... will not have to...?"_

_Kae turned back to her father and raised an eyebrow,_

_" I thought you said ' So Mommy will shut up'--"_

_His eyes widened as her mother shot him a shocked glare, he then calmly plucked the little girl from his chest and laughed,_

_" Move it, sweetheart, Daddy's gotta run."_

_As soon as her feet hit the floor, she moved to the side a little and her father ran for the backdoor. Her mother quickly sprinted after him and he let out a little girl's scream, bursting out the door at half speed. Kae bounced after them and stopping on the porch to watch her mother tackle her father in the backyard. Her father then rolled over and pinned her mother down onto the grass, the two then stopping all movement. _

_They smiled at each other and then he leaned down and softly kissed her lips. As the kiss deepened, the two laughed as a little shout came from behind them,_

_" EEEWWW!"_

_They both turned around and saw Kae standing there, sticking out her tongue. Her father grinned and stood up, walking over to her,_

_" Eeew, huh? Well, you'll feel this way someday, too!"_

_He then gently pulled her to the ground with him and began tickling the little girl all over, smiling at the sound of her tiny laughs. Her mother hurried over and joined him, the four-year-old now crying with giggles. Somewhere nearby, an older version of herself watched them with tears in her eyes. How she had wished things could have always stayed that way... that the happiness and laughter had never been extinguished just a few short months later. _

_A cold wind then breezed through as she watched her family had back inside for dinner and she sighed, lowering her head. She'd wished it stayed that way.... but was also a little thankful it hadn't. A smile crossed her lips and she blushed,_

_" Tobi..."_

----

* * *

Riku sighed as he again headed out onto the observation deck, the wind lightly brushing through his hair. His bangs gently whipped his face and he took in a deep breath, heading to the edge of the platform. That's when Hikari reentered his thoughts, a gleaming tear on her cheek causing him to frown...

--

_" Hikari, wait!"_

_The ebony-haired girl quickly turned away and started for the exit, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. She was wearing a gray, long, bell-sleeved shirt with a single green stripe across the front and a pair of white shorts. A set of tan sandals adorned her feet and her elbow-length hair was down, something very unusual for her. He ran after her and grabbed hold of her arm, _

_" Hikari, please! Listen to me!"_

_She jerked away from him and folded both arms across her chest, pouting like a child,_

_" Why?"_

_Sighing, he spun her around to face him and sighed, gazing sadly into her eyes,_

_" Hikari, please--!!"_

_" Please, what?"_

_She cried, tears glittering down her face. Her pout was more child-like than Sora's used to be,_

_" Just wait around for you to yell at me again!? For you to tell me how stupid I am!? For you to tell me how much you hate me for being so 'da$# innocent'!? No! I'm not gonna let you! I thought you were my friend, Riku!"_

_He grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from leaving and frowned at her desperately,_

_" I am your friend, Hikari! I was just... this afternoon I..... I wasn't thinking--"_

_She closed her eyes and turned her head away, a red light now glowing on them from the nearby wall. It was a timer and it started at 10. Sighing, he lowered his head,_

_" Look... I'm sorry I yelled at you, okay? I'm sorry for being such an a$$..."_

_She smiled a little, shaking her head,_

_" Riku, you're not a donkey..."_

_He ignored what she'd said and took in a deep breath,_

_" Look, I won't bring it up anymore, okay? I'll stay with you as long as you want me around. All I figured is that it was a little wrong for a guy and a girl to be living together when we're not even that close--"_

_She looked up at him with teary-eyes, confusion etched on her face,_

_" We're not?"_

_He shook his head, sighing,_

_" Hikari, that's not what I meant! I--"_

_" We're not friends anymore?"_

_He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Hikari lowered her head, silently beginning to cry again. He felt her shoulders shudder and glanced up at the digital timer. The numbers had gone blue and it read the number 3. Turning back to her, he took in a deep breath and gazed at her confidently,_

_" Hikari?"_

_The ebony-haired girl glanced up at him with glassy emerald eyes and sniffled, puzzled as he stepped a little closer. A giant 1 soon shown on them and he leaned down, planting a soft kiss on her lips. After a few moments, he pulled away and she reopened her eyes, smiling brightly,_

_" Does this mean we're friends again?"_

_--_

Riku laughed a little as the memory faded into the sunrise. She had always been a little innocent. A sudden strong feeling of guilt washed over him and he gulped it down, heading solemnly back inside.

* * *

Tobi's eyes widened as the girl murmured his name in her sleep and gulped as she opened her eyes a few moments later. He'd been watching her all night long, and a few rays of sun were now gleaming through the window. Kae frowned at him and sat up, yawning,

" You're up early. I figured you'd be asleep till about 5 tonight."

Tobi shrugged, yawning in return,

" Well, you know... thought it'd be cool to watch the sunrise."

She raised an eyebrow at him in confusion, then noticed the dark circles under his unusually glazed golden eyes,

" You were up all night weren't you?"

Then glancing down at herself, she found that his shirt was more or less revealing herself to him and quickly pulled the blanket over her body,

" You were watching me sleep!!"

Tobi sighed, too sleepy to block the pillows she immediately hurled at his head. A giggled sounded behind him and they both glanced toward the stairwell to see Yuna standing there with an excited Rikku beside her,

" Oh my! What's going on here?"

Kae folded her arms and turned her head away, Tobi immediately groaning,

" I'm.... just being a pervert."

Kae glanced over at him in surprise as he stood and headed over to the other 19-year-old in the room. He then found himself smiling at her with a small yawn,

" So, what's up, Yuna?"

Rikku was the one to answer and she did so frantically,

" We're tracking a sphere!! C'mon, we've gotta go get it!!"

Yuna giggled as she turned to her blonde-haired friend, nodding enthusiastically,

" Right! Cause we're...heh hmm... the Gullwings."

Kae snorted at that one and Rikku pouted at her,

" What's so funny?"

Kae shrugged,

" Oh, I dunno... just sounds to me like you hired a _five-year-old_ to pick your name."

The blonde then growled, raising a fist at her and Yuna tried desperately to hold the 17-year-old off,

" I'll have you know I picked that name myself! You're just jealous 'cuz you didn't think of it first!"

The auburn-haired girl scratched her head, smirking with a smart retort,

" Oh _yeah..._ I'm _so _jealous, I'm _green_ with envy...."

Rikku shrieked through her teeth and Yuna quickly ushered the girl out of the room, Tobi turning back to Kae before leaving,

" Hey! It wouldn't kill you to be nice to somebody for once. They _are_ my friends, you know."

Kae stood, shrugging with both arms across her chest,

" Well, it's not my fault that your_ friends_ are a little lacking in the intelligence department, is it?"

Tobi narrowed his eyes at her, anger rising within him,

" Why do you always have to be such a bi$c#, huh?"

The auburn-haired girl shrugged again, her hair swaying by her waist,

" I don't know. Why do you always have to be such a pervert?"

The azure boy growled, both fists clenched at his sides,

" I am _not_ a pervert, Kae! And you know that!"

" Do I?"

The crimson-haired boy growled again, his tail twitching behind him,

" Y'know, I don't even know why I bother talking to you! Seems like my life has become a living he$# ever since I met you!"

She narrowed her eyes, feeling all of her recent feelings for him beginning to drift away,

" Like wise. I think I'd have been better off if I'd never met _you _AT ALL!!"

The boy folded his arms, shrugging,

" Oh yeah? Well, so would I!"

He then stormed down the steps, shoving into Yuna on his way out of the room. She straightened with a small frown,

" Oh no..."

Riku frowned as Tobi stormed out of the room, Yuna calling after him,

" Tobi, wait!"

She hurried out after him, Rikku behind her. He stopped the blonde, frowning,

" What just happened?"

The Al Bhed girl just shrugged,

" He and that red-haired bi$c# had a fight. They were yelling a lot just a minute ago, then he stormed off."

She then waved after the fleeing pair, calling after her cousin frantically,

" Yunie, wait up!!"

Riku lowered his head and sighed, entering the room,

" Kae."

* * *

Kae had dressed fairly quickly and was now sitting on her bed, her arms folded in anger. She glared daggers into Tobi's bed, seemingly hoping to set it ablaze. A knock by the stairs caused her to look up and she narrowed her eyes,

" What do _you_ want?"

Riku raised his hands up defensively and stepped in the room, shoving his hands in his pockets,

" Easy! I'm just here to check on you....?"

She stood, shoving Tobi's shirt in the garbage,

" Well, don't bother! I'm not a child and I don't need your protection. Buzz off."

Riku straightened, murmuring to himself as he looked away,

" I don't know how _you_ could have possibly come from Sora and Kairi..."

Kae glared at him with a snarl,

" Well, that's none of your buisness, is it?"

" The he$# it isn't! You may not know this, little girl, but I'm just as much a part of this_ buisness_ you speak of as _they_ were!"

She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms,

" Oh yeah? How so?"

" Because I'm..."

He hesitated, then shook his head,

" You know what, nevermind. I'm sure it wouldn't matter to you, anyway."

The man then turned and stormed downstairs, exiting the room with much of the same anger Tobi'd had.

The girl then screamed through her teeth and kicked the garbage can over, stomping on Tobi's shirt,

" D$$#it, D$$#it, D$$#it!!"

She then picked it up and hurled it across the room, surprised as the mysterious, Paine, caught it in one hand. The bloody-eyed girl frowned, tossing it back to the shocked Kae,

" You should learn to control you're temper."

The skull-clad girl then turned and calmly left the room, leaving Kae in a confused stupour,

_' When did she come in here?'_

* * *

When the group finally piled out of the ship, Yuna frowned and lowered her head, turning back,

" Let's go somewhere else."

Rikku grabbed her friend by the wrist,

But, Yunie! We came all this way--!"

" Well, I don't want to be here, okay? Can't we go somewhere else... please?"

Tobi glanced out at the landscape and frowned, wondering why so many people had gather in this desert-land. He then turned to Yuna, confused,

" Why, Yuna? What's so bad about this place?"

* * *

A/N: Uhwoo hoo! Election Day! Finally those stupid Bush/Kerry ads will stop! GO NADER!!!And just so everyone knows, I do not own Zero either. I won't tell who he is really, because that will be explained later. But I don't own him, so.... there ya go. NADER YEAH!!


	61. Chapter Sixty

* * *

Chapter Sixty

Tobi glanced out at the landscape and frowned, wondering why so many people had gathered in this desert-land,

" Why, Yuna? What's so bad about this place?"

The brunette shook her head and turned back to the group, Rikku letting go of her arm,

" It's not what's bad about it... it's just...."

She then went silent and Rikku pouted, scratching her arm slightly,

" I know what you mean..."

Tobi glanced back and forth between them,

" Would someone please fill me in here!?"

Yuna lowered her head, then turned back to the people-ridden landscape and stepped toward a tiny, kindling fire,

" Two years ago, we... my guardians and I... sat in that exact place, contemplating the final battle with Sin. Rikku was there... and so was...."

The brunette then lowered her head and Tobi sighed, stepping up beside her. He smiled and placed an arm around her shoulders,

" Hey."

The 19-year-old glanced up at him in shock and blinked as he continued,

" I know what you're going through. Don't worry, though. I'm sure if _he's_ out there we'll find _him._ So, don't be so sad, okay? You should smile once in awhile... you're too pretty for a frown."

Yuna nodded shortly, placing both hands behind her back,

" I _do_ smile! See?"

She then bounced over to Rikku and grabbed the girl by the wrist, giggling as she dragged her toward the dome,

" C'mon!"

Tobi raised an eyebrow at this as Riku and Kae headed past, his tail twitching curiously behind him.

" She thought you were _him_."

The azure boy then turned and saw Paine heading past, her sword slung over her shoulder.

Paine walked on past him, her bloody gaze set straight ahead,

" I'm sure of it."

The golden-eyed boy stood still for a minute, then glanced down at the fire. The group around it had all walked away and now it was nothing but a stack of glowing sticks, the fire having been snuffed out just seconds ago.

He then turned back to the large dome and ran to catch up with the group.

* * *

" What's the matter, Yunie?"

Rikku asked innocently. Yuna had been nearly silent as the two girls were leading the group up to the stadium and now that they were inside, she was sure that her cousin had to say something. The brunette summoner opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again and sighed, shaking her head,

" Nothing..."

Kae raised an eyebrow at the girl's suddenly reluctance to speak, frowning as Riku stepped up beside her. He said nothing to her and simply walked past,

_' Good... I'm not in the mood to speak with " The Almighty Blind-One" at the moment...'_

" I don't think of myself as 'Almighty', thank you. In fact, I'm far from the word..."

Kae's eye began to twitch and she stopped dead in her tracks, staring wide-eyed at Riku's back,

_' How did he know what I was thinking?'_

" Simple. I read your body language."

* * *

" You know what you must do, correct?"

The red-coated, blonde Unknown had his gaze set past Ansem and at the window of the Virgin Mary. Lakchine stood nearby, glancing back and forth between Ansem and the blonde-haired man. Frowning, she leaned toward her brother in confusion,

" Who's he?"

Axel leaned over to her, whispering softly,

" He's an old soul..."

The blonde girl raised her eyebrow, then glanced back at the red-coated man. He nodded shortly and headed for the door, exiting out into the dark hallways off the castle-like manor.

If the pair had headed to the windows seconds later, they would've seen him heading out into the rain for the etheral waterfalls beyond their sanctuary. These waterfalls were unlike any other... they flowed upward.

* * *

There were many rooms in what Tobi had been told was the old blitzball stadium, whatever blitzball was, and he sighed, groaning as they entered yet another room full of monkeys,

" Where _exactly_ are we headed, anyway?"

Rikku smiled, turning around to face him,

" Wherever the sphere is!"

" And where is this sphere?"

Kae groaned, folding her arms impatiently. Rikku frowned at her and turned around with a 'hmph', her blonde locks swaying back and forth behind her. The auburn-haired girl rolled her eyes and shook her head,

" You know what? I'm tired of all your g$#da$# _giddiness_ and your _stupidity_ and your ignorance, okay? I'm outta here."

She then spun on her heel and marched back the way they'd come. Tobi shook his head and grabbed Yuna by the wrist, bursting into a run,

" C'mon! Let's find that sphere!"

Yuna blinked in surprise, Rikku calling after her,

" Hey, wait up, you two!!"

Riku groaned as Paine came up behind him and shook his head,

" We don't have time for this...."

Paine raised an eyebrow as the man muttered a curse under his breath and headed after them. Frowning, she glanced back toward the way Kae had headed, heading that way herself.

* * *

Kae rubbed her bare arms a little and frowned, glancing back the way she'd just come. No one was there. She then snorted and shook her head,

" Nice to see how much they all care..."

" Well, I'm sure they'd care more if you were nicer to them."

The auburn-haired girl gasped and spotted the leather-clad Paine in the shadows. She frowned, starting back on her march for the entrance,

" What do _you_ want?"

Paine started after her, completely solemn,

" Nothing."

They were then silent and after about 10 to 15 minutes of this, Kae gritted her teeth around,

" Like he$# you don't! Now, _what_?"

Paine narrowed her eyes, readying her sword,

" Up ahead."

Kae straightened, then turned around and frowned. Before them was a quite a extensive group of Heartless. Growling, she reached for her holsters and cursed, finding nothing in them,

" Da$$#it..."

" Here."

Kae frowned, glancing down to see a strange black sphere in Paine's hand,

" What is it?"

" It's my only other dresssphere. You'll need to use it if you want to defend yourself."

Kae took it and glanced at the silver-haired girl from the corner of her sapphire eye,

" Thanks....I guess..."

Paine said nothing and motioned for Kae to raise the sphere over her head. The auburn-haired girl did so and closed her eyes, the sphere beginning to glow brightly in her hand...

* * *

Yuna giggled as Tobi ran through the halls, nearly tripping on her own two feet,

" Take a right!"

He nodded and swerved to the right instantly, Yuna nearly slamming into the wall nearby. They reached a set of stairs and began to rush up them eagerly, Rikku exhaustedly calling after them,

" You guys....! Wait for me...?"

They didn't hear her, though. They'd already gone too far ahead. Riku staggered into the room and paused beside Rikku, taking in a deep breath,

" Those two run pretty fast."

Rikku sighed, slumping over as she sat down on the cold, stone floor,

" Tell me about it."

A man soon entered the room laughing with a few others at his side and the blonde frowned, clenching her fists tightly. Riku noticed the girl's sudden mood swing and raised an eyebrow,

" Who's he?"

Rikku hissed, pushing herself up off the ground,

" My dad..."

The Al Bhed girl then marched up to them and poked her finger at the bald one standing at the front,

" Fryd yna oui drehgehk!"

Her father raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by her outburst,

" Huh?"

" She said, ' What are you thinking!'"

Both Al Bhedians turned to Riku with questioning looks and the silver-haired man shrugged,

" I studied Al Bhed in high school."

The bald man turned to Rikku with a raised eyebrow,

" Who is this quack?"

Rikku rolled her eyes, motioning to one another to shake hands,

" Cid, Riku. Riku, Cid...."

They shook hands and Cid smiled, folding his arms shortly afterward,

" Nice grip. You'd make a fine buisness man. Ever consider working--"

" No, thanks," Riku interrupted, waving the man off,

" I'm not cut out for that kind of---"

The blind man immediately paused, gulping harshly. Rikku raised an eyebrow at him, tapping a finger to her lip,

" What's wrong?"

Riku frowned, unsheathing his staff,

" Someone's here."

* * *

Yuna giggled a bit as they came to a stop on a strange platform, turning to Tobi with a smile,

" Well, that was fun!"

Tobi smiled at her and shrugged,

" Well, I'm known to be a fun guy..."

The brunette shook her head and turned away from him, both hands behind her back as she headed toward the edge of the platform. Tobi frowned, raising an eyebrow as she paused to sway a moment,

" Two years ago, we cast off our beliefs here... Our false hope."

She then lowered her head and spun on her heel, beaming at him with a tearful smile,

" So, what now?"

" Now... you surrender."

Yuna gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as she gazed at a shadowy figure standing beyond her azure friend. Tobi turned slowly, glancing behind him to see what had frightened her....

* * *

Kae opened her eyes to find herself in a purple and maroon dress with gold trim, the maroon leggings on her feet adorned with small jingle bells. A wide-brimmed, purple mage's hat now rested atop her head and her hair was down, which she hated. She held in her hand a staff off royal blue with golden fixtures, the figure atop it resembling a strange, fiery creature, it's eyes made of emerald jewels. There were black, mesh gloves on either of her hands and she blinked, looking herself over,

" What is...?"

" It's not the time to ask questions! Just fight!"

Paine shouted, slicing through another Heartless with her powerful blade. It, like most other items on her body, bore a hideous skull on it's handle. Kae nodded and ran at the Heartless with the staff, whacking them on the head. She found herself defenseless in this outfit and Paine began to yell at her,

" That's not how you use it, you idiot! You know magic, don't you!?"

Kae shrugged,

" Not really. I've only mastered heal!"

" Well, then what good are you!?"

Kae clenched her fists around the staff, growling at the girl angrily. Little did she know, the staff was taking on a fiery hue...

* * *

" Yuna, run!"

Tobi blocked Yuna from the stranger's view and motioned for her to run. She refused and instead pulled out her pistols,

" No!"

The boy then growled and spun around, ushering her toward an exit. They both gasped as a sudden purple light flashed before them and Yuna stepped to the edge of the platform, carefully extending her hand. It hit a barrier and caused an iridescent ripple to extend from her fingertips. It would've been quite a beautiful and amazing sight had they not been in so much danger,

" It's no use. You can't escape."

They both turned back to the Nobody and Tobi stepped in front of Yuna, crouching low into a fighting position,

" Who are you?"

The red-coated man was unamused,

" Don't be stupid. It's not you I'm after."

He then turned his emerald gaze on Yuna and the girl gasped, Tobi stepping between them,

" You won't touch her..."

The man narrowed his eyes at the azure boy, clenching his fists tightly,

" I won't...?"

A lengthy sabre shot out from a tiny metal rod in his hand and it glowed a luminous, neon green, casting ominous shadows on the attacker's face. Yuna stepped back and raised both her pistols toward the man, Tobi leaping aside,

" Yuna, fire!!"

The girl then hesitantly let off a round of bullets, wincing with each shot. The man stepped closer each time he was hit and finally, she found herself back against the barrier. Soon, her bullets ran out and she gasped, glancing up to see that he was just about on top of her. Tobi growled and barreled over, tackling the man,

" Yuna, RUN!!"

She nodded and dashed to the other side of the platform as Tobi began to fight off the Nobody. The boy cursed as the red-coated man's sabre swiped his side and he burst into blue smoke, reappearing beside Yuna,

" Run again when I say..."

The Nobody turned sharply, his lengthy, blonde ponytail swaying behind him as he glared daggers at Tobi. The azure boy stepped in front of Yuna, clamping a hand over his stinging wound,

" One..."

The blonde man raised his sabre high in the air and Tobi growled, hissing lowly,

" _Two_..."

Suddenly, the Nobody disappeared and Yuna frowned, glancing around for a few moments,

" Where'd he go...?"

A few seconds later, Tobi sensed the man's presence off to the side and he cursed, hurling the gunner away from him,

" Yuna, watch it!!"

Yuna gasped and stumbled back against the barrier, screaming as a sudden explosion blew her blue friend away from her,

" Tobi!!"

The brunette gasped as the Nobody reappeared before her and pressed back against the barrier, unable to move. The man gazed down at her with shimmering emerald eyes and she frowned,

_' What's this....? Is he.... is he sad?'_

The blonde then raised his sabre high above his head....

* * *

A/N: Well, so much for Nader. He got like, what? 2 percent? And he lost to Bush at that! Maaannn....


	62. Chapter SixtyOne

Chapter Sixty-One

Riku gritted his teeth, his fist tightly clenched around his staff,

" They're after Yuna!"

He then burst into a run in the direction she and Tobi had gone earlier, Rikku whining from behind him,

" Hey!! Where are you going!?"

Cid cursed and followed after him,

" He said someone was after Yuna!"

The blonde clenched both her fists in anger upon being left behind and barreled after them,

" Wait for me, you jerks!! I'm comin' too!"

* * *

Tobi grunted and dissipated in a cloud of blue smoke, reappearing behind the man,

" No, you don't!!"

He grabbed the sabre with his tail and yanked it from the Nobody's grasp, tossing it across the room. The boy then swung his leg around and slammed Red-Coat in the side, causing him to stumble away. The man growled, narrowing his eyes at the azure adolescent,

" Get out of my way."

Tobi stood his ground between Yuna and the stranger, coughing up a little blood,

" No."

The man straightened and stretched out his arm, palm face out,

" Fine..."

His sabre reappeared in his hand shimmering with golden glitter and he crouched into a charging position, no sign of amusement on his face whatsoever,

" Then I'll dispose of you both."

* * *

Riku reached the top of the steps and was a bit startled to slam into an invisible wall,

" What the--!?"

He caught his balance just in time and glanced around. It looked to be a planetarium of somesort, but he knew that couldn't be the case. From what Wakka had told him about blitzball, there was no science smarts involved...

_' No smarts involved at all really... throwing a ball around underwater doesn't really classify-- What the he$#!?'_

The silver-haired man growled, immediately recognizing the figure who was poised to kill Tobi and Yuna,

_' That slimy ba$t#$d! I thought he died years ago!!'_

The red-clad man then opened his eyes wide and charged at the two, letting out a fearsome battle cry...

* * *

" Look chick, I haven't known you for very long, but I'm really beginning to _hate_ you right about now!"

Paine shrugged, slicing through a few more Heartless that leapt in her path and remained silent. Kae gritted her teeth and screeched loudly, slamming her foot on the ground,

" ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?"

The staff then suddenly burst in a brilliant light and a series of fireballs errupted from it's tip, erradicating all of the Heartless that stood in Paine's way.

The bloody-eyed girl turned to Kae with a raised eyebrow and found the girl in awe. Kae blinked, looking over the staff with a look of disbelief in her eyes,

" That was rather....interesting."

Paine shook her head and barreled back in Tobi, Riku, and Yuna's direction,

" C'mon, something's going on back there."

Kae nodded, still in awe at what she did,

" Did you know this thing could do that?"

* * *

Riku cursed and without thinking raised his hand to the barrier, varying his most powerful attack to save them,

" RAGNAROK!!"

Suddenly, a burst of white flame spiraled from his fingertips and cut easily through the barrier, homing in the red Nobody. The man stopped sharply and turned his gaze on the white-hot fireballs , his emerald eyes widening in terror as they spiraled closer. Each one hit him simultaneously, causing a brilliant flash to fill the room.

Tobi shielded Yuna from the blast, gritting his teeth as he felt the harsh heat hit his skin. Yuna shut her eyes and clung to Tobi tightly, whimpering in sympathy as he sucked in a strained breath through his teeth. Riku staggered forward slowly, his hand tightly clamped on his heart. He then lost focus of everything in the brilliant flash and fell forward into nothingness...

* * *

Rikku met up with Cid near the bottom of the steps, Kae and Paine rushing up shortly. They all turned to each other and frowned, Paine stepping up to Rikku and Cid,

" Did you sense it, too?"

Cid nodded and Rikku only sighed,

" Sense what!? What are you guys sensing that I don't sense!!!"

A brilliant flash caused her to jump with a tiny squeal and Kae stiffened, half-expecting a loud crack of thunder to follow. Paine clenched her fists tightly and rushed up the steps,

" Yuna!"

Rikku gasped, Cid and Kae following closely at her heels,

" Oh no, Yunie!!"

* * *

As the flash faded, Yuna cautiously peeled open her eyes and blinked, straightening as she glanced past Tobi,

" Where'd he go?"

Tobi frowned and spun on his heel, glancing around behind him. Sure enough, the mysterious man-in-red was gone, not even a trace left. He spotted something out of the corner of his eye as he was taking a look at the landscape and straightened, his eyes widening in fear.

Not too far away, Riku was lying on the cold, metal floor... face down and lifeless. The boy tensed and immediately rushed to the man's side, shaking him slightly,

" Riku!!"

Yuna hurried over to them, kneeling down beside Tobi,

" Oh no... how did this happen?"

" Yunie!!"

Rikku, Paine, Kae and Yuna's uncle, Cid, appeared on the platform seconds later and Rikku gasped, running over quickly,

" What happened?"

Paine and the other two came over shortly after and Cid knelt down, hoisting the blind man over his shoulder,

" C'mon! Let's get him back to this ship o' yer's."

* * *

A set of emerald eyes glared daggers at the group as they retreated and he hissed, turning away sharply,

" Da$$#t..."

The crimson-cloaked Nobody then turned and marched into the shadows, his clunky, black boots echoing softly as he disappeared.

* * *

" Captain, look!"

Wakka raised an eyebrow and turned on his heel, straigthening in shock at what he now saw. Rikku's father Cid had hoisted Riku over his shoulder and was carrying the man toward him. Yuna pulled out from behind Tobi and ran to Wakka, panicking a little,

" Sir Wakka!"

Rikku hurried after her and the two stopped upon reaching him. Wakka glanced back and forth between them and Riku and cursed,

" What the he$# happened--"

Yuna glanced back at her group and grabbed hold of Wakka's arm,

" I'll explain later. Right now, Sir Riku needs our help."

* * *

" Here."

Wakka motioned for Cid to lay Riku down on the bed and Yuna rushed out of the home, returning shortly with her summoner's staff. She pushed her way between Rikku, Kae, and Wakka and to the bedside next to Tobi, who's focus was intent on the silver-haired man. Yuna looked down at Riku and nodded, holding her staff close to her heart,

" I'm not sure this will work, but, I'll try..."

The others stepped back as Yuna began to twirl her staff around and Tobi frowned. The gorgeous weapon that had been coloured in red, blue, and gold now glowed a soft green. She rose it above her head, twirling it with one hand as it showered Riku in emerald light. The movements of her arm caused the beautiful silver pendant on her neck to jangle and the azure boy beside her seemed confused as the green light around Riku's body instantly dissipated. He turned to the summoner, who was now pouting,

" It didn't work, did it, Yuna?"

The girl shook her head and picked up her staff, silently heading outside for air. Rikku followed after the heartbroken girl, as did Paine, who had been waiting outside of the home,

" Yuna..."

Wakka stepped toward the door, then turned back to Riku with clenched fists,

" Is he okay?"

Tobi furrowed his eyebrows in worry as he gazed down at his friend. The man looked like death, that was the only way he could describe it. Riku was very pale and extremely still, so still in fact that Tobi was almost positive that he _was_ dead, except for the fact that he'd see the man's chest rise and fall occasionally. He could also feel a faint pulse whenever he checked for one. Wakka took in a deep breath and shook his head, quietly exiting the house.

* * *

Lulu frowned as he walked past her, stepping after him as he marched out the door,

" Wakka?"

* * *

Yuna pouted as she sat on the beach, resting her chin on her knees,

" None of this would've happened if I hadn't been so quick to jump for that stupid sphere..."

" But it isn't stupid, Yunie! Didn't you see who was in it--"

" Yes," Yuna said, standing suddenly. She walked to the shoreline, the gentle breeze catching her hair,

" I saw.... but who's to say it was even _him_, anyway!? It could very well be someone else, Rikku--"

Rikku nodded, bouncing over to her,

" But, you'll never know if you don't look! C'mon, Yunie, you can't give up now!"

Yuna sighed, turning away from the blonde with tears in her eyes,

" I... I just don't know what to do anymore..."

" Follow your heart, Yuna."

Both girls turned to see Paine leaning back against a nearby tetherball pole, her arms folded across her chest,

" Follow your heart. It's all you _can_ do."

The leather-clad girl then turned and headed for town. Yuna lowered her head and placed a hand on her chest,

" Follow... my heart?"

Rikku backed away quietly, then turned and followed Paine back to Wakka's, leaving Yuna alone to think as the sun sank into an ocean of shimmering diamonds.

* * *

Kae stood behind Tobi, who's focus was set intently on Riku. The boy was visibly and audibly tired, but he wouldn't allow himself to rest until he was sure Riku would be okay. The auburn-haired girl glanced down at Riku's paling form and frowned. His breathing patterns were becoming more strenuous with the hour.

Tobi closed his eyes lightly, his head beginning to droop a little, he then shook himself awake and yawned, rubbing his eyes a bit to wake himself up. She smiled slightly at this and scratched her arm, opposite him,

" Tobi?"

The boy glanced up at her and she could see the bags under his eyes. He needed sleep,

" Why don't you go on to bed, huh? I'll watch over him--"

" No."

The girl straightened and Tobi rubbed his eyes again,

" I won't rest until I know he's okay."

Kae folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at the boy,

" You're _really_ stubborn, aren't ya?"

" Da$# straight."

They both laughed a little and Kae coughed, swiping her bangs from her face,

" Look... I... uh... I just wanted to....I wanted to...um... apologizeforwhatIsaidbefore."

Tobi raised an eyebrow in confusion,

" Huh?"

" I'msorryforwhatIsaidbefore."

" Say that again? I couldn't hear you."

" Sorryaboutbefore."

" Hold on, Kae... what was that last word? Something about 'bananas'?"

Kae growled, clenching her fists tightly at her sides,

" I SAID I'M SORRY!!"

Tobi then grinned, placing both hands behind his head,

" I know."

The girl then screeched and grabbed a pillow from Tobi's bed, hurling it at him at full speed. He screamed and caught it in both hands, grinning as she marched past the curtain and stormed outside. He then turned back to his vigil and murmured a quiet prayer, running a hand through his hair,

" Please... please, Riku, be okay..."

* * *

--

_" Riku Shimui?"_

_He immediately stood and headed over to the doctor now standing by the door,_

_" Is she okay?"_

_The woman sighed, glancing down at the papers in her hands,_

_" Well, it doesn't look good. With the impact the attack had on the womb and the amount of bloodloss Hikari has sustained, more than likely the child did not survive."_

_He lowered his head, tears stinging at his eyes as he felt a terrible stake being driven into his chest,_

_" Oh, God....... wh-what about Hikari?"_

_The doctor sighed, her curly brown bangs dangling in her face as she spoke,_

_" I'm not going to lie to you. With the conditions Hikari is in right now and, again, the factor of bloodloss... it's highly doubtful that she'll last the night. I'm terribly sorry."_

_He felt as though his heart was being ripped from his chest through his throat and he turned away from the woman, lightly rubbing his forehead as he shut his eyes,_

_" No.... no, she can't..."_

_" You should go to her, Mr. Shimui. She'll need you once she wakes up..."_

_He turned back and nodded, shaking his head as he headed toward the room to the doctor's left. The door was slightly ajar and he quietly pushed it open the rest of the way. They'd given her a tiny room to herself and she sat up in the bed at the far corner, frowning slightly,_

_" Is the baby all right?"_

_Taking in a deep breath, he quickly walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, squeezing the tears from his eyes. She only became confused and pulled away, gazing at him in concern,_

_" What's wrong?"_

_--_

* * *

Kae slowly walked around the quaint little village, smiling slightly as the children ran passed,

_' They're so cute when they're little...'_

" Excuse me, miss?"

The auburn-haired girl turned to see Wakka's son now standing there, smiling at her fondly,

" By any chance, would your name be Kae Hikaru?"

She nodded, raising an eyebrow at the boy,

" And how would you know this?"

Chappu snorted, smiling a little,

" What? You don't remember?"

The girl shook her head,

" Should I?"

He sighed, waving it off,

" Don't worry. I didn't expect you to. We met when I was four years old at your grandmother's birthday party. You met Aki there as well... I'm sure you must remember that."

Kae smiled, giggling as she tucked her fallen bangs behind her ear,

" Yeah, I remember that... but I can't seem to remember you being there. Didn't you say hello?"

Chappu grinned scratching his head,

" No... to be perfectly honest, I had a hard time talking to you at all."

The sapphire-eyed girl pouted a little,

" Why?"

This made the tan boy blush and he kicked at the dirt,

" Well, you were just too pretty to talk to..."

--_17 years ago--_

_" Go on, Chappu. Say hello to Kae."_

_The orange-haired 4-year-old gulped and darted behind his father's leg, shaking his head furiously. He was dressed in a little beige vest with a white tee underneath and matching beige pants hung from his waist. A beige bandana held his hair away from his face and he wore tiny black shoes on his feet. He and his father practically matching._

_The little red-haired girl before him wore a tiny, burgundy dress with a white-lace collar, knee-high white socks, and black, buckle-shoes on her feet. Her hair was tightly curled ( quite reminiscent of Shirley Temple) and hung down passed her chin. Her father stood behind her wearing an olive t-shirt, a pair of dusty jean shorts, and slip-on, black sandals. He knelt down beside her and smiled, pointing toward the cowering boy,_

_" You wanna say hi to Chappu, Kae?"_

_The two-year-old remained silent, her curious eyes darting in every direction. Her father smiled at this and was about to speak again when there was a sudden call from behind Wakka,_

_" Did we miss all the fun?"_

_The little orange-haired boy turned to see a couple walking up. They were dressed fairly nice and had a little blonde boy with them. The boy was in his mother's arms as they came up. Kae's father smiled and Wakka grabbed the blonde man by the neck, then rubbed his knuckles against the guy's head,_

_" Noogie!!"_

_" Ack! Hey, Wakka! Stop that!!"_

_The lady, who was dressed in a yellow skirt and top, set the blonde boy down on the ground and gave Wakka a hug,_

_" How have you been, Tubby?"_

_The blonde boy glanced over at the Chappu, then turned to Kae with a smile on his face. She smiled back and held both hands behind her back, biting her lip shyly. Her father laughed at that and folded his arms, the lady in yellow squealing with giddiness,_

_" Aww! She's so cute!"_

_Kae's mother and grandmother came up from behind and her mother smiled,_

_" So, I take it they met?"_

_Wakka nodded,_

_" Sure did."_

_Chappu pouted at this and turned away, running to his mother who was seated by the cooler. He watched as Kae chased after the blonde-boy and eventually kissed his cheek. He then let out a soft sigh and fell asleep in his mother's arms..._

_--_

Kae pouted a little once he'd finished and lowered her head,

" And you never tried talking to me afterward?"

The orange haired man laughed, shaking his head,

" No. But y'know... you're still hard to talk to..."

He then stepped up to her and raised her chin with his finger tip,

" And you're even more beautiful, now..."

She blushed faintly, her heart racing as he leaned down and softly brushed his lips with hers. Her eyes closed instantly and she immediately felt relaxed. Everything suddenly felt like a dream to her, like a reality where anything and everything could happen. However, she remained blissfully unaware of the furious golden eyes locked on the two of them...


	63. Chapter SixtyTwo

* * *

Chapter Sixty-Two

Tobi growled and clenched his fists tightly,

_' Of course she'd fall for a guy like him, Tobi. He's strong and brave and handsome... and da$$#t! He's everything I'm not!!'_

He then slammed a fist into his knee, cursing as it turned to jell-o beneath his knuckles,

_' Well... who the he$# says I'm not, anyway! I'm pretty strong... I may not have the physical look goin' but I'm still strong! And I saved her from the Heart of Darkness, da$$#t! Doesn't that show her how brave I am? I may be just a bit shorthanded on the handsome thing, being blue and all, but still...'_

A sudden groan startled him out of his despairing thoughts and he glanced up with wide eyes. Riku took in a deep breath and weakly turned his head to look in Tobi's direction,

" Wha...what happened?"

The azure boy smiled and scooted a bit closer,

" You're okay!"

He then wrapped his arms around his friend with a giant grin on his face and Riku raised an eyebrow in confusion,

" What the he$# are you doin'?"

Tobi immediately stood and coughed, shoving his hands in his pockets,

" I- uh... I mean, good. You're okay. I'm glad. I think I'll go get Wakka now."

The boy then turned and hurried out of the house, heading in the direction Wakka had earlier.

Riku groaned and laid back, massaging his eyelids carefully. Flashes of Tobi and Yuna flew into his head, as well as one of,

" Zero."

* * *

A few children playing in the street quickly ran from his path, gazing up at him in wonder. He kept a steady focus on the tiny hut nearest the temple, his emerald eyes narrowed into deathly slits. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides as he watched a raven-haired woman exit the hut. She spotted him and glanced up with violet eyes as he came to a stop before her,

" May I help you?"

The man tightened his fists and hissed as he spoke, his golden bangs fluttering about his face,

" Is there anyone with the name Riku at this residence?"

* * *

Wakka sat on the cliffside, gazing deeply into a the babbling brook below,

" He can't die... he just can't--"

" Wakka!"

The orange-haired man turned to see Tobi rushing up to him and he stood, panicking a little,

" What is it? What happened?"

Tobi grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets,

" Eh, Riku died. No big deal--"

" What did you say!?"

" I'm kidding! I'm kidding!! Riku's just fine. He woke up about ten minutes ago."

Wakka let out a sigh of relief and smacked the boy on the back of the head,

" Don't ev'a do that again! I thought you mean it..."

The boy just laughed and stepped toward the cliffside, gazing down at his reflection. It was extremely warbled, causing him to let out a deep sigh,

" Hey, Wakka? Do you think I'm attractive?"

The orange-haired man turned on his heel and raised an eyebrow, frowning,

" Wha?"

Tobi glanced up at him and then laughed, shaking his head,

" Oh! Nothing... nevermind."

Wakka coughed, backing up a little,

" Uh... no offense, but I think you're just startin' ta creep me out a little, ya?"

The boy sighed and sat down, dangling his legs over the ledge of the cliff,

" Don't worry about it. Most people think that anyway... though for different reasons."

This made Wakka frown and he shrugged, stepping over to the boy,

" So, uh... why did you feel you had to ask me if I thought you wa' pretty?"

The boy sighed, shaking his head,

" I didn't ask you if I was pretty. I asked if I was _attractive_. And just forget I ever said anything. It doesn't matter what you think, Kae still won't look at me in the end, anyway..."

Wakka nodded, grinning widely,

" Little Princess, huh? So, you like her, ya?"

" Yeah. Thing is, she only wants Chappu."

The orange-haired man coughed, smiling in surprise,

" Go, Chappu!"

Tobi glared up at the man and Wakka immediately nodded solemnly, patting the boy comfortingly on the back,

" I mean, I'm sorry..."

" Sure whatever."

* * *

Kae opened her eyes and smiled up at Chappu,

" What was that for?"

Chappu shrugged, leaning down for a second kiss,

" Just felt like it I guess."

" Well, I didn't."

Kae pushed him gently away, frowning at him,

" What the he$# made you think I wanted to kiss you? He$#, I barely know you!! So what if our parents made us meet when we were kids! It doesn't give you the right to kiss me!!"

Chappu sighed, lowering his head sadly,

" I know... forgive me. You were just so beautiful, I couldn't--"

" Yeah, yeah... cry me a river, Casanova."

Kae rolled her eyes and pushed past him, frowning at the figure she saw up ahead. It was a blonde-haired man around the age of 25 or so with a lengthy blonde ponytail and a crimson coat hanging from his shoulders. The auburn-haired girl raised an eyebrow,

" Well, that's a bit odd."

* * *

" May I speak to him please? He's a _dear_ friend of mine..."

Lulu frowned at the stranger, shaking her head shortly,

" I'm sorry. No one is allowed to see him until he's well."

" Oh, he's ill?"

The woman nodded silently, causing the stranger to narrow his eyes,

" Perfect..."

He then turned on his heel in Kae and Chappu's direction and pulled out a strange looking gun, firing off a blue beam at the two. Kae's eyes widened and she shielded herself the best she could, surprised to find that Chappu was taking the shot for her seconds later. He grunted and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. Kae knelt beside him and shook him some,

" Chappu! Chappu, wake up!! Chappu?"

The children around the village were now screaming and the stranger was firing his gun at everyone and everything in sight. Toddlers ran around set aflame, screaming their last terrified breaths as they unsuccessfully tried to put themselves out. Houses were burning to the ground, people were being slaughtered one by one... it was chaos.

Lulu narrowed her eyes and set a small moogle toy down on the ground. It scampered over to the man, but proved to be of little use against him. He immediately set it aflame as well.

The man then ceased for a moment, gazing around at the carnage he'd caused with little amusement on his face,

" Riku! If you can hear me, I demand you come out now!"

* * *

" Or should I have to... I'll take that runt you raised and make an azure omelet of _him_..."

Riku grunted as he leaned back against the wall, one hand tightly clamped to his coat. Sweat dripped down his face and he cursed as the Nobody continued,

" Come out, now!"

He then heard a small struggle and a female scream,

" Come now or the girl dies."

" You let her go, this instant!"

Riku grunted as he heard Lulu's attempt to free who he knew had to be Kae. She used a pretty hefty Thundaga charm on him, followed by a Blizzaga, but neither worked.

The silver-haired man grunted upon hearing a loud blast, then Lulu's scream,

_' The ba$t#$d shot her!!'_

Again, the Nobody spoke,

" You have 10 seconds to show yourself, Riku, or so help me.... this girl will be joining her parents tonight."

* * *

Yuna gasped upon hearing gun shots and screams, the gulls over head cawing in fear. She gasped and rushed back to town, readying her pistols for action.

* * *

Wakka and Tobi frowned upon hearing the screams as well and glanced at each other fearfully. Tobi cursed, speeding back for the village,

" Riku! Kae!"

Wakka cursed as well, only for a few different reasons,

" Lu, Chappu... Yuna!"

* * *

Rikku and Paine stepped out of the now burning Items hut and Rikku gasped, pointing at the blonde man,

" He's got Kae!!"

Paine growled, readying her sword for battle,

" He's gonna kill her!"

" Oh! Where's Yunie when you need her!?"

* * *

" Sir Wakka?"

Yuna raised her voice in question as the three crossed paths. Wakka sighed in relief,

" Yuna! You're alright! You know what's goin' on down there?"

She shook her head, about to speak as another shot sounded and more children began screaming. Tobi cursed,

" C'mon, hurry!!"

* * *

" Five, Four..."

Kae grunted as his grip tightened around her neck and he pressed the nozzle of his gun under her chin. Rikku and Paine were not too far away, readying their weapons for a fight. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes to swear a short prayer. Upon them, she grunted again. No sign of Riku anywhere,

" Three, Two, O--"

" Let her go...."

The blonde-haired man gazed at the hut in slight satisfaction as a weakened Riku came stumbling out of it. The silver-haired man was so faint that he had to support himself on both his staff and the nearest wall. Kae felt a sense of worry for the man and tensed, hoping that if she didn't move, this stranger wouldn't go after the sickly blind man. However, this was not the case. The crimson-clad man immediately let her go and she frowned, dashing over to the silver-haired one's side,

" Are you all right?"

Riku ignored her, instead turning to the Nobody,

" What do you want, _Zero_?"


	64. Chapter SixtyThree

Chapter Sixty-Three

Zero nodded, solemnly,

" So... you remember."

Riku grunted, taking in a few deep breaths,

" How... could I forget.... an ugly mug like yours?"

Zero blinked lazily, thoroughly unamused,

" You know what I'm after."

" I do."

" Then you know why I'm here..."

Riku growled, weakly tightening his grip on his staff.

Zero acknowledged this action and pressed the only button on the metallic, cylindrical object in his hand. Seconds later, a flickering, green beam shot out of it... it was his sabre,

" And you know what I intend to do about it."

Kae tensed and stepped forward a little, jumping as Riku suddenly grabbed her shoulder,

" No..."

She glanced back at him with wide, sapphire eyes and blinked as he stepped toward Zero, seeming to become a bit stronger,

"... this is my fight."

The girl growled softly, but stepped aside and let Riku pass.

* * *

Rikku gasped as the two fighters stepped into the centre of the burning town and turned to her skull-clad friend,

" They're gonna fight each other! We've gotta do something! "

Paine frowned as she watched them, tightening her grip on the handle of her sword,

" There's nothing we _can_ do."

The Al Bhed girl turned her swirly, green eyes back on the impending battle, gasping softly,

" Oh _no_...."

* * *

Riku grunted, clenching and unclenching his free fist to try and work through the throbbing pain in his chest. His heart was pounding rapidly, a bit too rapidly, and his mind struggled to stay focused on what Zero was doing. The blonde Nobody narrowed his eyes,

" Ready?"

Again, the silver-haired man grunted and he crouched into a careful, defensive position, gasping for breath as tiny sweat beads developed on his skin. Zero straightened and closed his eyes, disappearing into thin air. Riku's eyes widened behind the blindfold and he quickly spun around, not surprised to suddenly find Zero falling from the sky. He immediately raised his staff to block the Unknown's oncoming sabre and cursed, the rod's sleek metal all of a sudden being pushed against his throat.

Zero narrowed his eyes and surged forward, pushing Riku across the square and into the sturdy wall of a nearby hut. He hissed lowly, his sabre crackling as he pushed harder on Riku's staff. Riku grunted, barely able to keep his own staff from pressing against his throat. After a few moments of this, the silver-haired man was startled to see Zero immediately retract his sabre. He then wasn't at all surprised to be pounded in the stomach by the Unknown's fist seconds later.

Zero swung his leg around and slammed his shin into Riku's side, causing the weakened man to fly through the wall of the Besaid Aurochs Blitzball hut. The hut was steadily burning to the ground as it was and as Riku coughed up a bit of blood, he felt smoke being sucked into his lungs,

Zero immediately dashed inside the hut and found his opponent attempting to push himself up off the floor. The crimson-coated Nobody narrowed his eyes and grabbed the ailing man by the neck, lifting him up off the floor,

" Die."

He tightened his grip on the man's throat, not at all finding amusement in the blind one's pain. Riku grunted, weakly clawing at the Unknown's hand, unable to free himself from his death grip,

He began to see images of Sora and Kairi, of the island, of the old paopu tree they used to climb on as children, of Tifa in Midgar... of Hikari. He then saw the face of a frightened, five-year-old Tobi, the boy's big, golden eyes glistening with tears,

_" Riku!"_

Little did he know, that now 20-year-old boy was making a B-line for the fiery hut...

* * *

" Riku!"

Tobi cursed as he caught a glimpse of Riku through the flames and he quickly hurried toward the blitzball team's hut, his heart racing in fear. Zero apparently caught on to the boy's presence and glowered at him. He then spotted the scantily clad Lady Yuna beyond the azure adolescent and hurled Riku at the golden-eyed boy, disappearing suddenly.

Tobi's eyes widened as Riku crashed into him and both fell backward, the boy in immediate panic as his friend began coughing hysterically,

" Riku!"

Riku shook his head, pushing himself up off the floor,

" He's after Yuna...!"

The boy glanced up just in time to see Zero reappear and blow Wakka out of his way, the orange-haired man skidding across the concrete toward an unconscious Chappu and Lulu. Cursing audibly, Tobi sprung to his feet and made a mad dash for the now-frightened summoner,

" Yuna!!"

* * *

Rikku and Paine gasped, both immediately barreling toward Yuna at the same instant,

" Yunie!"

Rikku cried, causing Paine to curse,

" Da$$#t! We won't make it in time!"

* * *

Wakka snarled as he pushed himself up, rushing back toward the brunette,

" Yuna!"

The brunette gasped, unable to react as Zero raised his sabre high to strike her. She stood, simply too paralyzed with fear to move.

All thought it too late to save the girl, when suddenly, a blur of black, red, and peach barreled by, rescuing Yuna at the last second....

* * *

Kae grunted as she and Yuna hit the ground, the brunette blinking up at her in surprise,

" You... you saved me?"

The auburn-haired girl nodded, wincing slightly as a searing pain surged through her side. They both glanced down to see that a deep gash now was etched into Kae's side... a gash that was gushing with blood. The crimson liquid that had been spilt on the asphalt was spied by Tobi and the boy tensed, calling her name as she doubled over in pain,

" Kae!!"

Riku cursed upon feeling the girl's presence begin to weaken and he turned to Zero, a deadly tone in his voice,

" You'll hurt no one else."

His body then began to glow an eerie green and Tobi paused, turning mid-run to see this change occuring. This deeply worried him, but hesitantly, he kept his pace toward Kae, sure that the man could take care of himself... though he highly doubted it.

Zero turned to Riku slowly, his eyes widening at the sight of the man. Riku was bathed in lime light and the battering winds swirling around his body caused his blindfold to peel off and flutter to the ground, revealing to Zero a pair of charcoal eyes. Cursing softly, the Unknown quickly raised his sabre and charged the man, letting out a harsh battle cry as he gained speed. Riku raised his staff, now glowing an iridescent green, and easily blocked the Unknown's blade. He allowed the turbulent winds around him to flare up and Zero was blown backward a few feet.

Tobi's eyes were wide as Riku walked past, fearful of the evil that now encircled the man's body.

_" Let him go child."_

_-- Agrabah _--

_Spinning on his heel, he glanced back at Rasheed, who was frowning at him sternly,_

_" That man has a great many demons to deal with. It would be wise for you to let him have his time.... he will come around. I am most assured of that."_

_----_

The boy's eyes widened further, noting the change in Riku's behavior,

_' Is this what Rasheed was talking about? Riku's demons?'_

Riku suddenly sped toward the blonde Unknown, precisely swinging his staff to connect with Zero's head. The Nobody kicked away from him at the last second and sailed into the air, pulling out his rifle once again. He showered Riku in a barrage of fiery blasts and cursed as the silver-haired man dodged each one fairly easily. It seemed as though the blind one was running on automatic pilot.

Her head now cradled in Tobi's lap, Kae raised up slightly and gasped. One of Zero's plasmatic blasts managed to clip Riku's shoulder, causing the man to fall backward. Tobi noticed her slight movement and glanced down, gently running the backs of his fingers along her cheek,

" Shhhshh... he's alright."

The boy then looked back to the fight and bit his lip. Riku had stopped moving.

Zero nimbly landed on one foot and triumphantly stepped over to where the fallen man lay, tapping him with his booted foot. He got no response. Wakka growled, clenching his fists tightly,

" Why you....!"

The orange-haired man then burst into a run at Zero, fist raised high. Tears welled in his eyes with anger and his mind was muddled with only one thought.... revenge.

Riku's eyes shot open instantly upon sensing this and he reared back onto his palms, kicking out at Zero full force. Zero, caught off guard by this sudden motion, fell to the ground and cursed as Riku pressed the end of his staff to his neck. The silver-haired man glared down at him unforgivingly,

" You killed _her_."

Tobi gasped, glancing down at Kae with a frown. Her eyes were open and she was still breathing... clearly she wasn't dead! Zero closed his eyes,

" _I_ didn't."

" You're lying," Riku stated sharply, jabbing down with the rod. Zero choked a little at this, but answered again,

" _I_ didn't kill _her_, Riku. You know who killed _her_..."

Wakka raised an eyebrow and turned to Riku with a frown,

" _Her_?"

Riku ignored him,

" And who would that be?"

Zero's eyes opened again, their emerald colour glimmering in the light of the burning village,

" Who gave you that power, _Riku_?"

Riku's charcoal eyes widened, immediately fading back to the milky jade it usually was. He grunted and stumbled away, falling to his knees almost immediately. Tightly clasping a hand to his chest, he gasped for breath and shut his eyes. Wakka scrambled over to him, resting a hand on his back,

" Riku! You okay?"

Zero stood, glaring down at the man in what Tobi thought looked like sympathy. The bloody-cloaked Unknown then closed his eyes, a voice from his past beginning to haunt him,

_' " Zero!"'_

The image of a young woman with lengthy brown hair entered his mind and smiled at him, batting her big, blue eyes at him playfully.

He stepped toward Riku and raised his sabre high, hoping the image would dissipate if he did as Ansem told. Her memory only grew stronger. Wakka cursed and leaned over Riku to shield him, tensing as the Nobody deftly swung downward upon them....


	65. Chapter SixtyFour

Chapter Sixty-Four

....and stopped?

Wakka raised an eyebrow as Zero retracted his weapon and straightened, glancing down at Riku. His silver-haired friend was weakly gazing up in confusion at the Nobody with eyes closed, sweat beads dripping down his face. Tobi tensed, glancing back and forth between the two men and the crimson-clad Unknown,

" What the...?"

Another image appeared in Zero's mind, one he could never forget...

_--180 years ago-- _

_She was lying on the ground, completely lifeless as the enormous ''satellite'' aimed it's guns for the Earth. He had done this to her, he had been the one to hurt her this way... to drive her mad. She'd told him time and time again not to fight with her brother, but did her listen? No! He just had to keep going, had to keep fighting until he won. And now... he was the loser._

_" Iris!"_

_He cried, running quickly to the girl's side. The pale-skinned beauty opened her eyes as he knelt down and gazed up at him lovingly,_

_" Zero."_

_He tensed at the sound of her strained voice and gulped harshly, leaning over her more,_

_" Hang in there, Iris..."_

_Iris took in a deep breath, her crisp, British accent standing out well as she spoke,_

_" Zero, please, stay away from Repliforce... and let's live togeth'a... in a world where only Reploids exist..."_

_He frowned, shaking his head sorrowfully,_

_" Iris, there is no world just for Reploids. It's only a fantasy!"_

_Iris pouted at this, tears welling in her perfectly sapphire eyes,_

_" Yes, I know... but I wanted to believe it! I wanted to live in a wo'ld where only Reploids exist... with you."_

_She raised her hand weakly and he clamped both of his around it, tensing at her words,_

_" Iris..."_

_Smiling slightly, she exhaled a soft breath and closed her eyes, falling limp. He felt his heart stop and his eyes widened as he raised her up, shaking her lightly,_

_" Iris! "_

_No response._

_Iris! Iris! Iris!!"_

_She still didn't respond and he took in a deep breath, his heart shattering into a million tiny fragments,_

_" Iris..."_

_Pulling her close, he whimpered softly and called out her name in anguish,_

_" Iris!"_

_Then, with a loud scream, he stood, cradling her in his arms,_

_" No this isn't happening! There's no reason for me to go on! What... WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR!!?!"_

_----_

Zero took in a deep breath and knelt down before the younger man, a pleading look gleaming in his emerald eyes,

" Kill me."

" What?"

The Unknown clenched his fist tightly around his sabre shaft, placing a hand on Riku's shoulder,

" Kill me, Riku. Please... I've nothing left to live for."

Riku remained silent, taking in a few deep breaths as the Nobody continued,

" He's promised me he'd bring _her_ back, but he didn't... he _won't_! Please, you have to end my life! I beg you!"

Tobi raised an eyebrow and straightened, finally speaking up,

" Who promised you what?"

The Nobody lowered his head, closing his eyes,

" Ansem... Ansem promised me he'd bring _Iris_ back, but he won't. He's been lying. That's why he locked me away when I refused to kill _you_."

Riku straightened, taking in a deep breath,

" You... you refused to kill _me_?"

Zero nodded, lowering his head solemnly,

" After I found he'd been playing me for a fool, I realised all the terribled things I had done... and when he ordered me to strike you down that day, I refused to do so without any hesitation."

Tobi blinked in surprise and straightened, glancing over at Riku,

_' Is that what I saw... all those years ago?"_

_-- 8 years ago--_

_The 12-year-old sat in the open doorway of their new house, calmly doing his homework as the rain silently fell on the muddy streets of Midgar. A man quietly walked up and coughed, seeming a bit downcast,_

_" Excuse me."_

_Glancing up from his math work, he blinked at the crimson-clad man with confused eyes,_

_" Can I help you?"_

_The man coughed hesitating to speak for a moment. He then shook his head, silently walking away,_

_" Nevermind."_

----

" There's nothing left for me in this world. Please... you have to destroy me."

Riku grunted and lowered his head, weakly rising from the ground. He held on to his staff for balance, gazing blindly down at the Nobody,

" No."

Zero's eyes widened and he looked up at the man, eyes seeming to glisten as Riku continued,

" Pleading for death... that's the worst way to die. It's the way of the coward. Are you sure this..._Iris_ of yours would really like you going out as a cow..ard...?"

The crimson clad Unknown lowered his head, clenching his fist tightly around his sabre shaft,

" I won't see _her_ where I'm going..."

He then jumped up and grabbed Riku by the wrist, forcing him to take the sabre. Desperately, he pressed the button for the silver-haired man and jerked awkwardly as the growing, glowing green blade pierced his chest, the tip barely exiting his back.

Yuna gasped and clamped both hands over her mouth, screaming as the man began spurting a strange, black substance. Riku's eyes were wide as he felt Zero fall from the blade and he heard the Unknown hit the asphalt with a loud clank.

Zero smiled, coughing up the same black substance that was now leaking from his wound,

" Go...to Hollow Bastion......he's waiting for you there..."

He then fell silent as the last of his vision fuzzed out and he shut down. Tobi raised an eyebrow and looked him over, surprised to find that he was sparking,

" He's....?"

Rikku blinked in awe as Paine stepped up beside her, frowning,

" A machine."

Wakka turned to Riku, who had remained completely still. The sabre was still in his hand and was dripping with oil. The sleek, ebony liquid had also spurted Riku's face and cloak, light streaks of the stuff dripping from his silvery hair as he seemingly gazed down at Zero's body. He was in shock.

The orange-haired man gently shook his friend, concern now etched in his face,

" Riku? Hey, snap out of it, ya?"

The man didn't respond. Wakka straightened and raised an eyebrow as Rikku ran passed, kneeling down at the form of a boy behind him,

" Chappu!"

Immediately, Wakka spun on his heel and glanced down. Both Chappu and Lulu were lying in close proximity of each other... completely motionless. Rikku shook Chappu a little, jumping as a weak voice drifted from behind her,

" He's dead...."

Wakka turned back around and glanced down at Kae, who was bleeding pretty extensively herself. She gulped hard, struggling to keep her eyes open,

" I already checked..."

The orange-haired man lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly in anger and sadness. Tears threatened to stream down his cheeks, but he kept them in, not wanting a soul to see him cry.... especially Riku.

" Wa...kka?"

Wakka spun around again to see Lulu's burgundy gaze set on him. Quickly, he rushed to her side and knelt down, the tears in his eyes freely falling from his eyes,

" Lu!"

" How's...Chappu?"

They all fell silent and Lulu nodded understandingly, tears welling in her eyes as well. Tobi felt sympathy for the couple and pouted, soon startled by the sudden tug on his shirt. He glanced down to see Kae straining herself to gaze up at him and he tensed as she barely managed to whisper his name,

" Tobi...."

Without further hesitation, he picked the girl up off the ground and turned to Yuna,

" Can you help her!?"

The 19-year-old summoner nodded, quickly rushing into Wakka and Lulu's house, which had surprisingly little damage done to it at all. Tobi hurried in after her, but turned in the doorway and frowned. Riku was still standing there, holding the sabre in his hand,

" Riku?"

The sabre dropped instantly and the man fell forward, causing Tobi to panic,

" Riku!!"

He was surprised to see that Paine, of all people, would be the first to come to Riku's aid. She caught him mid-fall and then, with Rikku's help, walked him inside Wakka's home.

Tobi then turned, after glancing down at the lifeless Chappu, and carried Kae inside, Wakka following in with Lulu soon afterward....

* * *

" Da$$#t!!"

Ansem slammed a fist down on a mahogany desk located in the Library. Axel stood before him, frowning solemnly,

" Zero, too?"

The red-haired man's master simply turned to the books on the shelf behind him,

" That insolent boy is becoming quite a nuisance.... see to it he's disposed of next time! Or I shall see to it that a certain relative of your's is the next on his hit list."

Axel clenched his fist, knowing immediately that he meant Lakchine. He nodded silently, then turned and exited the room.

* * *

" There... is that better?"

Kae took in a deep breath, running her hand up and down her exposed midsection. The wound was completely healed, no trace of a scar or blood at all,

" Yeah.... thanks."

The auburn-haired girl then stood and zipped herself up, quietly heading for the door. She then paused and turned to the summoner,

" Yuna?"

The blue and green eyed girl smiled, tilting her head slightly,

" Yes?"

Kae sighed, lowering her head as she turned for the door again,

" Sorry."

Yuna blinked in surprise and straightened, nearly dropping her staff. The girl then smiled and headed over to Lulu and Wakka,

" Are you feeling better, Lulu?"

* * *

Kae stepped out of the hut and took in a deep breath, nearly jumping out of her skin as someone grabbed hold of her arm,

" Kae!"

She screamed and pulled her arm away, raising her fist to pummel whoever it was touching her,

" Back off--"

" Hey! It's just me!!"

She then blinked and realised who was standing there as they grabbed her arm. It was Tobi. Lowering her fist, she sighed and started to walk on past,

" Sorry..."

" Hey, where are you going?"

" I just need to be alone for awhile, okay?"

Then, saying no more to him, she quietly walked off through the now smoldering village and headed for the beach. He straightened and nodded, lowering his head as he walked back inside.

* * *

" Riku?"

Riku, now with blindfold securely back on, glanced up at Yuna and smiled weakly,

" Yeah?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably and coughed, picking at her nails,

" I was just... I was just wondering... why was he here? What did he come here for, I mean?"

" Who?"

" That man in the red coat. He seemed intent on hurting me and looked really sad about it. Why? Do you know?"

Riku lowered his head, instantly weighed down by guilt and grief,

_' She must have a ring and not know it, yet.'_

" Riku?"

He nodded, sighing deeply,

" I know why."

* * *

Tobi started toward the curtain, pausing upon hearing Riku speaking softly to someone,

" You carry something... something inside you that's extremely special. Something that he wanted.... do you know it's there? Inside you, I mean?"

" Yes," he heard Yuna reply,

" Ever since I became a summoner, I have felt the presence of someone else inside of me..."

" Do you know who that someone is?"

" Yes. It's the Keybearer."

Tobi straightened, his heart instantly shattering at her words. This turn of events brought back to him what Wise Man had said back at Castle Nemesi...

-- _Castle Nemesi, 2 weeks ago--_

_" Riku is after the Keyblade."_

_He frowned, raising an eyebrow at the hooded man's words,_

_" What?"_

_" The Keyblade. He can attain it if he captures the Rings in the hearts of those like the Keybearer. That's why he's continuing this journey. He needs those Rings in order to form the Keyblade."_

_" But...wouldn't that mean--?"_

_" Yes, Tobi... he intends on killing whoever or whatever bears them in order to attain the power of the blade. It drives him mad, thinking of how his best friend was able to acquire such a power and he could not. Now, he wants that very blade for himself..."_

_" That's a lie!"_

_" No, boy, it is just the opposite. He's sought after it for 25 years now... do you really think he'd quit because of a childish adolescent like you? Ha! Not likely."_

_" How many Rings are there...?"_

_" Four in all, each respectfully equaling the blade, the hilt, the base, and the keychain."_

_" So... there are four bearers as well?"_

_" Yes."_

_" Do you know who they are?"_

_" Not all, but one lies on an island not far from this castle. It's buried within the heart of an angel, protected by grace and magic. She is the daughter of a man named Braska...."_

_----_

Clenching his fists tightly, Tobi listened intently to Yuna's voice as Riku told her what part she played,

" There are four Rings, Yuna.... each representing the hilt, the base, the blade, and the keychain... you hold one of these Rings."

* * *

Yuna straightened, her eyes wide in surprise and utter shock. Riku sorrowfully continued,

" And the only way to.... to rid your heart of the Ring is.... well...."

" I know."

The girl closed her eyes and Riku let out a deep sigh,

" I'm sorry."

" Don't be," She said softly, smiling with tears in her eyes,

" I somehow knew when you first came here that I would not exist much longer. I'm glad to know that I am to die in at least a noble way, then to go out like that murderous coward..."

Riku frowned, looking up at her in confusion,

" Wh-What?"

The brunette nodded, standing up from her seat beside the bed,

" First thing in the morning... you are to have my Ring."


	66. Chapter SixtyFive

A/N: Happy Chain of Memories Day!! I'm in a really sad mood today. I've recently learned that my boyfriend has been avoiding me and unless we can work things out, I'll have to break up with him. He$#, I've only been with him for a year and a half! It's no _big_ deal... Anyways, here is the next chapter and just so you know, Yuna does not die in this one. She dies in the next one. And here's the disclaimer I forgot last chapter. I do NOT own any characters associated to Capcom or having to deal with Megaman X. I don't own a lot of stuff in this story...

Chapter Sixty-Five

Early that morning around 2 or 3 am, a makeshift stage was set up in the square of the once burning Besaid. The townspeople gathered around the stage, curious as to what was to take place there. There were two people off to the either side of the stage, people clearly identified as the captain of the Besaid Aurochs, Sir Wakka, and his lovely wife, Lady Lulu. What made the people's peak of curious extended higher was the moment when their faithful summoner, Lady Yuna, appeared onstage in a tiny black skirt and an interesting white an blue top.

She smiled to them all and glanced over at Wakka, then at Lulu. Both nodded and smiled back, and she turned to the crowd,

" People of Besaid. I know you're probably wondering what I'm doing up here. How, after our town was nearly destroyed in a raging fire, can I possibly be able to get on this stage and do what I'm about to do. It's very simple. The fire, in many ways, was a terrible tragedy, but I believe that we as a whole can benefit from it. The soil is now rich and fertile, hee, we can grow crops again! We can rebuild our homes in stronger and _less_ flammable materials."

" We are now stronger from this. Next time, though I pray there will be no 'next time', we can avoid the heartache and loss by securing our tiny little town. We know now that the world is not as happy a place as we may like to think. It isn't as safe as we thought when we were children. We can give our children that safety, however, now that we know the dangers that still exist even after Sin. And on this note, I, Lady Yuna, perform one final time as High Summoner."

The crowd began to gasp and murmur to each other, causing the girl to shrink a little. Yuna then shook off her fear upon seeing Tobi standing beside the glowing figure of a young, blonde-haired man with blue eyes and she smiled. Nodding shortly, she continued,

" I'm terribly sorry to leave you all so soon into our Calm, but I'm... needed elsewhere. You will all be in my heart, however. It is at this time, that I dedicate a song to those who have been lost over the years during and since Sin."

The blonde-haired man smiled and turned away, almost immediately dissipating into a million pyreflies. Yuna took in a deep breath and smiled at Tobi, seeming to urge her words towards him,

"The people and the friends we have lost, or the dreams that have faded.... Never forget them."

Tobi lowered his head as the intro music began to play and closed his eyes. She was saying her good-byes.

* * *

It began thundering as Kae reentered the town, her thoughts all pushed to the side for the night. She didn't want to think anymore of weakness or pain... she just wanted to sleep. It steadily started to pour as she spotted the huge crowd standing before a rickity stage. Yuna stood at the centre of that stage, silently looking up as the music played softly behind her,

"** I know that you're hiding things, using gentle words to shelter me...**"

**

* * *

**

**/ Your words were like a dream/ **

Riku stared blankly at the ceiling as he lay on his bed, reminiscing on times long past. Yuna's heavenly voice orchestrated those memories perfectly and it pained him deeply. He didn't want to remember that terrible day when...

_**--**15 years ago**--**_

_Tifa stood on the porch of her bar, smiling as she watched Tobi playing in the rain. The boy looked so happy and carefree. She then frowned upon seeing a red-cloaked man approaching the boy and she tensed, hurriedly rushing down the steps to him,_

_" Tobi, go inside."_

_The boy blinked up at her with big golden eyes and frowned,_

_" Why?"_

_She stepped in front of him and knelt down, placing both hands on his shoulder,_

_" Because, sport, you'll get sick if you stay out here. Now, go on! Get inside! I'll come in a minute and make you a milkshake, how 'bout it?"_

_The five-year-old nodded and bounded back inside, the 20-year-old immediately turning to the cloaked man once he'd gone,_

_" Who are you? What do you want?"_

_**/ But dreams could never fool me/**_

_The man seemed distraught, his emerald eyes dull and lifeless,_

_" By any chance, does a man by the name of Riku reside here?"_

_" Yes, but I'm afraid he's not here right now. Should I tell him you came by?"_

_" No," the man said quitely,_

_" I believe he'll figure it out once he comes back..."_

_He then pulled out a glowing green sabre, causing her to immediately tense up._

_**/ Not that easily/**_

_" Tifa, what's going on?"_

_The mahogany-eyed woman spun around to see Tobi standing at the foot of the porch steps and she cursed,_

_" Tobi, get back inside! Now!!"_

_She then turned back to the enemy and gasped, finding him missing. A child's scream caught her ears and she stiffened, spinning on her heel. The man was standing over the young boy, blade aimed to kill,_

_" TOBI!!"_

_-Meanwhile-_

_**He **dropped the box of bullets onto the floor, his paled eyes wide as he gazed into the grain of the shelf. A voice came from behind him, pulling him back to reality. It was Barret,_

_" Somethin' wrong, kid?" _

_Gulping harshly, he turned to the hulky man, his lengthy, silver locks fluttering behind him,_

_" I..."_

_Closing his eyes, he shookhishead and hurried for the door, grabbing hiscoat,_

_" Tobi!"_

_-Seventh Heaven-_

_Tifa let out a scream and barreled over to the cloaked man, kicking him away from the boy,_

_" Tobi, run!"_

_The boy began to back away as Tifa kicked and punched at the Nobody, desperately trying to keep him at bay. Tifa glanced back to see that he was still there and cursed, turning toward him upon knocking the stranger to the ground,_

_" Tobi, RUN!!"_

_The crimson-clad Unknown suddenly sprang up from behind her and slammed the back of her head with the butt of his sabre, rendering her unconscious. She hit the ground with a wet 'slop' and the Nobody stepped over her, marching directly up to the young boy. Tobi kept backing away, his breathing now a frightened wheeze. He tripped on his own shoe and fell onto his rear, letting out a tiny yelp of fear as he kicked away from the 'scary man'._

_The Nobody raised a rifle, aiming it directly at the boy's head with a stern, solemn look on his ageless face. Tobi's eyes widened and he heard Tifa call from behind the man. She sounded frantic,_

_" TOBI!!"_

_The stranger caulked the rifle and tilted his chin up a bit, muttering two words and two words only,_

_" Forgive me."_

_The shot sounded, echoing coldly in the chilly night air and Tifa screamed loudly,_

_" NO!!"_

_Tobi flinched, opening his eyes slowly to find that he was still there. The child then found that someone had rushed in and shielded him from the blast. That someone was...._

_" You okay..., kid?"_

_The tiny, azure boy nodded tearfully at the silver-haired man and hugged him tightly, his miniature tail swishing back and forth behind him. He jumped upon hearing a grunt and looked at his friend in confusion. The man was seriously wounded and he fell to the mud in pain, struggling to keep awake as Tobi's curious little voice filled his ears,_

_" Riku? Riku? Riku...?"_

_Tifa immediately sprung to her feet and attacked the Nobody from behind, screaming loudly,_

_" No! Riku!!"_

_There was a deep, gun wound in the man's back and he was bleeding profusely. She knew if she didn't do something and quick, he would die. So, she attacked the Unknown with all her might. _

_Her fists could only get her so far, however, and after about 100 -250 hits on her part, the battle was over. The crimson-clad Unknown that he knew as ' Zero' pulled out his glowing green beam sabre once more and turned sharply to face the 20-year-old. The woman didn't even see it coming. He thrust forward with his right arm, the tip of the blade searing straight through her chest. Barret, who was standing not too far from there, cried out in anguish and rushed forward, aiming his gun-arm at the Nobody,_

_" NO!!"_

_The Nobody turned and simply glared at the muscular man, unamused. Barret was tearful as he cried out again, firing off multiple rounds at the Unknown,_

_" TIFA!!!"_

_Struggling to turn over, he gazed at the scene with his second sight and cursed, weakly calling out to her,_

_" Ti...Tifa..."_

_Tobi glanced away from him for a moment and frowned, unable to grasp what was going on. He pushedhimself up and crawled over to her, frowning as hewatched Zero escape Barret's barrage of bullets. He then turned his attention back on Tifa and shook her lightly, hoarsely calling her name,_

_" Tifa... Tifa, wake up...."_

_**/I acted so distant then/**_

_**/ Didn't say goodbye before you left/**_

_Barret continued to attack the Unknown, cursing as he darted easily away. Soon, Zero was standing beforehim, glaring down with unamused eyes. Barret cursed and tried to reach him, but by the time he'd gotten there, it was already too late. Zero dug his blade deep into his chest, causing a scream to rise from little Tobi. Barret cried out as he watched him lifelessly fall forward, rushing over to the blind one and choosing to ignore the threat of the Nobody nearby. _

_Kneeling down beside them, Barret reached over and grabbed himby the shoulders, pulling him off of Tifa. He lay him back and cradled him gently, patting at his face furiously,_

_" Riku! Riku!!"_

_Hiseyes opened slowly and coughed in pain, blood dribbling down his chin,_

_" B....B..Barr..et?"_

_Hethen glanced down athisfeet and saw the silhouette of Tifa. Her figure was a solid green in colour, which confused him. He'd never seen that colour before. Tensing in pain, he coughed again and sucked in a deep breath, turning his gaze back on Barret,_

_" Take....take care of...take..."_

_Barret shushed him and smiled sadly, brushing the stringy, silver bangs from his face,_

_" Shhhsh.... hush now. You gon' be awright, I promise, ya. You will."_

_He smiled weakly and felt his eyes droop shut, then nothing. _

_/**But I was listening/**_

_Hecould still hear Barret speaking to him for a few moments before everything was washed away by the sound of the ocean and he distinctly heard,_

_" You gon' see him grow up! You GOTTA see him grow up! Kid, no! Kid!? KID!!!"_

_**--**_

_**/You'll fight your battles far from me/**_

_**/ Far too easily/**_

_After what he presumed was a few hours, he felt a strong warmth on his face and opened his eyes slowly. He found himself in his room at Tifa's bar, Barret sitting over him like a silent vigil. The man leaned in a little, his voice full of concern,_

_" Kid?"_

_Groaning softly, he nodded and took in a deep breath,_

_" How long have I been out?"_

_" Couple days now. We was all wonderin' if you'd eva' wake up."_

_" How's Tobi?"_

_Barret shrugged, relaxing a little as the man closed his eyes,_

_" A li'l sad. He's been mopin' 'round here for the past few days, cryin' over this and that...... he's scared, kid."_

_" Scared? Why?"_

_" He'was afraid you was leavin' him. Just like ya did in his dream."_

_Sighing, he shook his head and_ _groaned, massaging his temples,_

_" And Tifa?"_

_**/ Save your tears cause I'll come back/**_

_**/ I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door/**_

_He entered the room carefully, Barret holding onto his arm to support him. Ushering the man away, he slowly stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him, lowering his head. He then raised his gaze to the still silhouette on the bed and took in a deep breath, sadly stepping toward it. It was her, all right. The body was Tifa's. He sat down beside the bed and ran his hand along her cheek, tears welling in his sea green eyes. She didn't move and he whimpered, lowering his head into the crook of her neck. _

_He sobbed loudly, tears splattering softly on her sheet-white skin...._

_**--**_

**/ But still I swore/**

**/ To hide the pain, when I turned back the pages/**

**/ Shouting might have been the answer/**

Kae glanced over at Tobi, frowning at his grim scowl. She was tempted to ask about, but instead, she kept all questioning to herself and turned to her own thoughts,

_' It's been over a month and a half since I first left home and yet... it feels as though I never lived there at all.'_

She then pouted, her thoughts returning to the day of Aki's death...

-- _7 years ago --_

_**/ What if I'd cried my eyes out and begged you/**_

_**/ Not to part.../**_

_" Aki, please don't leave me..."_

_He sucked in a breath and pulled her close to him, planting a single, passionate kiss on her lips,_

_" See ya, 'round, Spunky..."_

_She gasped as he closed the doors on her, screaming loudly,_

_" AKI!! AKI, NO! DON'T GO!!"_

_Hot tears fell from her eyes and she cursed, trying as hard as she could to push the doors open,_

_" D$$#...."_

_Peering through the small crack between the cabinet doors, she gasped to see that Aki was staggering toward the bedroom door. He held his father's staff in hand and he seemed determined to fight off the Heartless with it.... or die trying._

_A strange man soon appeared, wearing a blood red coat with the hood lowered. She heard Aki gasp and the man jabbed forward with his glowing, green sabre, the sound of Aki's staff clattering to the floor filling her ears. The man pulled his sabre away, then stepped around the boy. Aki clutched his stomach with both hands and he grunted, eyes wide as he glanced up at the cabinet. _

_She felt her heart stop as his knees hit the floor and he forced a painful smile, mouthing three words to her as his last breath escaped him,_

_" I love you..."_

_He then collapsed onto the hardwood floor, face down as blood poured from his stomach. _

_The boy's assassin had left the Heartless to tend to the body, not even bothering to check the cabinet for her. She let out a shrill scream as the creatures devoured his flesh, ripping him apart bone-by-bone in the search for his precious heart. Shoving at the doors violently, she screamed as the cabinet toppled over onto it's front, trapping her inside,_

_" AKI!!!"_

_----_

**/ But now I'm not afraid to say/**

**/ What's in my heart/**

Kae took in a deep breath and wiped her eyes of tears, quickly walking away from the crowd. Tobi glanced back at her, sadly watching her leave. He then turned back to Yuna, lowering his gaze again as she began to sing the haunting chorus of her song,

" **Cause 100 words, call out through the ages...**"

Yuna tried to hold back her tears as she came to the last chorus of her song, remembering _their_ last moments together...

--_ 2 years ago--_

_" Yuna, I have to go."_

_She shook her head, refusing to believe that he was going to disappear. He lowered his head and took in a deep breath, sighing,_

_" I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand.... goodbye!"_

_The blonde-haired 17-year-old then turned and headed for the end of the ship, causing her to tense. She could hear Wakka and Rikku saying something behind her, but she didn't pay any attention to them. Instead, she kept her watery focus on him and ran forward, tearful thoughts gripping her heart,_

_' No, don't go! Don't leave me here all alone!'_

_" Yuna!"_

_She heard her Ronso friend, Kimahri, call out from behind her. It would do no good for them to call her back, she wouldn't listen anyway. She ran with all her might, spreading her arms out wide to embrace him as he turned around. They came closer and closer to each other and just as their hands were about to meet, she tripped, staggering forward. He made to catch her... but she fell through him. _

_After a few moments, she pushed herself up, sadly gazing at the pyreflies spiraling toward the Spira skies. They were both silently and finally, she smiled,_

_" I love you."_

_**/ And 1000 words/**_

_**/ Call out through the ages/**_

_It took a few minutes for him to respond, but finally, she saw his spectral arms wrap around her from behind and she closed her eyes, wanting to relinquish the world she knew and follow him into eternity. But she knew she couldn't do that.... he wouldn't let her._

_**They'll cradle you/**_

_**/ Turning all of your lonely years/**_

_**/ To only days/**_

_She then gazed on sadly as he marched onward and leapt off the edge of the airship, vanishing from her eyes forevermore..._

_----_

" **They'll hold you forever!**"

She belted out into the microphone. The crowd was in awe at the girl's vocal talent, all gasping as the sun suddenly came up over the horizon and tore through the rain. Taking in a deep breath, Yuna smiled at Tobi, tears streaming down her cheeks,

" **Oh, 1000 words...**"

The music then ended and she let out a whimper, falling to her hands and knees in tears. Rikku and Paine hurried up onto the stage and the blonde knelt down beside her, gently rubbing her back,

" There, there."

* * *

Edit: Yes, I meant 15 years there. Oops. I can't count right now! I'm too stressed!! Thanks **Rurouni Saiyan** for pointing that out! Oh! So embarrassed....


	67. Chapter SixtySix

**Chapter Sixty-Six : Calmer of The Storm**

It was chilly that morning once the equipment was put away. Yuna discarded her songstress outfit and dawned her familiar summoner's dress once again, smiling brightly with a small bundle in hand. She quickly stepped over to Kae, who had just returned to town after a long night of thinking, and giggled,

" Here!"

She held the bundle out to the gunslinger, her hair bouncy slightly with her excitement. Kae took it and looked it over, raising an eyebrow at the summoner,

" Pistols?"

Yuna nodded shortly,

" They're my Tiny Bees. It looks like I really didn't need them much, after all, so I want you to have them. Put 'em to good use, okay?"

The brunette then quickly hurried toward the town square before Kae could reply.

/**When everything is wrong/**

**/ The day has passed and nothing's done/**

**/ And the whole world seems against me/**

Riku was silent as he stood with Wakka in the square, the sun shining brightly in the mid-morning sky. He turned to the orange-haired man grimly, taking in a deep breath,

" Wakka.... please, try to understand..."

Wakka simply glared straight ahead, ignoring the man completely. Riku sighed again, his heart lurching as Yuna came bounding up,

" Sorry, I'm late! I had presents to give."

She then glanced around in confusion,

" Where is everybody?"

" We're coming! Don't start yet!!"

They all turned to see Yuna's 17-year-old cousin rushing over to them, Paine and Tobi in toe. Tobi shot an angered glare at Riku, one clearly saying,

' How the h$# can you do this?'

**/ When I'm rolling in my bed/**

**/ There's a storm in m head/**

**/ I'm afraid of sinking in despair/**

Riku then lowered his head and took in a deep breath, turning to the brunette,

" Are you ready... Yuna?"

The blue and green eyed summoner smiled, nodding shortly,

" Yes. I am."

" Wait!!"

Rikku then rushed forward and embraced the girl tightly, beginning to cry a little,

" Do you really have to, Yunie...?"

" Yes," Yuna said, stifling a giggle of sadness,

" This is _my_ story."

The Al Bhedian girl then grinned, whispering in her ear,

" Make sure you two have lots of babies when you meet _him_ again! I wanna be an auntie!"

Yuna blushed and Paine raised an eyebrow at Rikku,

" You wouldn't be their aunt. You'd be their second cousin."

" Oh, what do you know, _Paine_!"

" More than _you_, obviously."

" Hey!"

Yuna giggled, tears welling in her eyes as she turned to Riku confidently,

" Okay.... I'm ready."

Hesitantly, Riku nodded and raised his right hand, leveling it with her chest,

" This may sting a little."

She smiled at his quirky comment and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling a terrible pull on her body. Talons of darkness emerged from his fingertips and seeped into her chest, digging around for the Ring being held within her heart.

**/ Teach me Lord/**

**/ To have faith in what You're bringing me will/**

Yuna bit her lip, the pain inside intensifying three-fold. Rikku held her hand, wincing as the summoner's grip became tighter and tighter. Tobi's eyes began to well with tears as she smiled, barely able to open her own eyes,

" Thank you all......... for being herewithme."

One final tug and the Ring broke free, cleanly melding with the dark talons as Riku retracted his hand. It exited her chest without so much as a mark on her skin and he caught it in one hand, remaining silent.

**/ Change my life and.../**

Yuna, her body now completely limp and cold to the touch, fell backward. Rikku had a hard time stabilizing the girl as she lowered her gently to the asphalt, tears streaming down her cheeks,

" Yunie! Yunie, no!"

Paine shook her head, quietly turning away from the sight. Wakka was in tears. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around the lifeless girl, letting out harsh cries at the top of his lungs. His tears splattered softly on the 19-year-old's skin and Lulu hurried to his side, embracing him tightly as she began crying herself.

**/ Bring You glory/**

Tobi glared at Riku dangerously, tears of anger welling in his eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth as the man silently turned and began walking away. Letting out a low growl, the boy turned his gaze back on the lifeless summoner,

" I hope you're satisfied..."

Riku paused a moment, taking in a deep breath as a sharp pain shot through his heart. He shook it off and continued walking toward the beach...

**/ There on the storm/**

**/ I am learning to let go/**

**/ Of the will/**

**/ That I so long to control/**

Wakka cradled Yuna in his arms, sniffling as he gazed down at her. He had watched her grow up... partially raised her after her father died. She had been like a little sister to him and now...?

_' I'm sorry, Yuna.... I'm sorry I couldn't save you...'_

His mahogany eyes spotted Riku walking off into the distance and he growled, swearing off any loyalty he had to his _friend_,

" D$# you.... Riku."

**/ There may I be/**

**/ In Your arms eternally/**

**/ I thank You, Lord/**

**/ You are the Calmer of the Storm/**

**/ You rebuke the wind and the waves/**

**/ Once again, I find I'm amazed/**

**/ At the power of Your will/**

Riku stood on the shore, gazing through his blindfold at the horizon. It reminded him much of home... how he used to stand on the Paopu Isle for hours just gazing out at the ends of their tiny world. It hadn't been the ends, however. If he'd only known back then, then he, Sora, and Kairi could've sailed the raft to Spira. The island chain had been just across the ocean from his home, after all.

He thought idly about going back, but it seemed impossible. He had dreamed for too long of going home and if he went there now, the high expectations of his fantasies would be torn to shreds. No one would be there to greet him... not a happy face nor even a Heartless. His home was in ruins now. There would be no one there for him. Riku shook his head, quickly turning away from the sea. He couldn't go back there... not now. Not with the things he'd done.

**/ Cause I'm a child of little faith/**

**/ I feel the wind and forget Your grace/**

**/ And you say, " Peace be still."/**

**/ Teach me Lord/**

**/ To have faith in what You're bringing me will/**

It was around 4 or 5 pm when the town finally heard of Yuna's death. The weather seemed to want to comply to their pain and a heavy downpour fell upon them around 4:30. They had carried Yuna inside and she now lay on a bed in Wakka's house. Chappu lay on a bed nearby, both children ornamented by Death herself. Wakka found himself unable to enter the room. Losing both his son and his little sister in the course of two days? It was all just too much.

Tobi sat beside Yuna, tears glinding down his smooth, azure cheeks. He ran his finger tips down her cheek and gulped hard, sniffling,

" I'm sorry..."

The boy stood and leaned over her, gently kissing the lifeless girl's forehead. He then turned and quietly left the room.

**/ To have faith in what You're bringing me will/**

**/ Change my life and/**

**/ Bring You glory/**

**/ There on the storm/**

Kae turned to see Tobi exiting the room and she lowered her head sadly as he walked by. He'd been crying. The girl then entered the room to pay her respects and sat down in the chair beside Yuna's bed. She'd already said goodbye to Chappu the night before... now it was time to bid the summoner adieu, as well.

**/ I am learning to let go/**

**/ Of the will/**

**/ That I so long to control/**

Taking in a deep breath, she smiled, tears causing her mascara and eyeliner to run,

" Hey, Yuna..."

**/ There may I be/**

**/ In Your arms eternally/**

**/ I thank You, Lord/**

**/ You are the Calmer of the Storm/**

Rikku turned to Tobi as he came up and embraced him tightly, whimpering into his chest. Tobi gently ran his hand through her hair and tried to call her,

_' How can I calm anyone if I can't even calm myself?'_

**/ And oh, when a torment blows/**

**/ In the middle of the sea/**

Paine, who on the outside seemed indifferent about the whole matter, was a storm inside. She felt terrible about the girl's death, but since she hadn't known her long, she wasn't too heartbroken. She felt she should've been... that she should've been crying over the lost summoner as well,

_' Why can't I?'_

A few small tears worked their way forward, silently running down the girl's cheeks without her knowledge.

/** May I never trust/**

**/ Never trust in me/**

Kae stumbled out of the room seconds later, her make-up staining streaks down her cheeks. Tobi glanced up with sad eyes and stepped over to the girl, blinking away his own tears,

" Kae...?"

She wiped her tears away the best she could and marched on past him,

" I'm fine, don't bother."

The boy watched silently as she walked away, hugging herself tightly as if nothing was bothering her,

_' Why do you always walk away, Kae?'_

**/ Cause there in your arms I find..../**

/** No tragedy/**

Riku stumbled back into town, noting that everyone had taken shelter in what was left of their homes. There was another thing that was his fault... the fire.

He staggered into the largest building in the area, noting the religious hymns he could hear escaping from it's depths. Taking a deep breath, he trudged inside, his boots squeaking across the tile floor.

It was a church all right, a bit of an odd-looking church, but a church nonetheless. He sensed that no one was insight and pulled off his blindfold, allowing it to glide to the floor with a 'shiff '. Pressing further in, he found himself at the centre of a grand room, a room he could not see, but hear instead. There were many echoes in this room, the strange hymn bouncing from wall to wall and back again.

Riku again, made sure no one was around and he sniffled, blinking away his tears,

" Hello up there? You still here?"

He received no response and continued,

" I still find it a little hard to believe in You... after all, You've put me through utter H$#. What kind of father does that to his kids?"

The silver-haired man then nodded, shrugging,

" Mine... I know."

He remembered how his father used to beat him constantly when his mother was sick. The man blamed him for everything, including her illness, and that's why he chose to become strong... so he could fight off his father if need be. And he had needed to... once.

His father had been with one of his daily whores again and had crossed the line after smacking Riku's four-year-old cousin, Aya, for walking in on them. He'd lost it then. The man wound up in the hospital with five broken ribs, a punctured lung, and both arms immobile. After that, his father never dared mess with him again.

**/ There on the storm/**

**/ I am learning to let go/**

Riku took in a deep breath, his breathing becoming fast paced. His heart was racing and his head was muddled with pain. Images of Sora, Kairi, Aladdin, Jasmine, Salene, Vixen, Darien, Zero, Yuna, and Tifa rushed through his mind, causing him to flinch with sorrow. Even Hikari came to him,

" It's all my fault.... it's all my fault for what happened to them. If I hadn't been so weak maybe then maybe.... maybe I could've..."

**/ The white waves high/**

**/ It's crashing o'er the deck/**

**/ And I don't know where I go/**

He began to shake violently, barely able to stand much longer. Running a hand through his hair, he closed his eyes tightly to squeeze out the tears,

_' It's all my fault they died... I'm responsible. I couldn't save them... I can't save anyone! I couldn't even save Tobi from the darkness! And... if I can't even save them.... how the h$# am I supposed to save myself?'_

**/ Where are You Lord?/**

**/ Is this ship going down?/**

Finally, after years of pent up torment, Riku let out a scream and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. He slammed his head into the floor repeatedly, cursing loudly,

" IT'S ALL MY FAULT!! D$$#! IT'S MY FAULT THEY'RE GONE!!"

Unbeknownst to him, Kae had quietly entered the church and hidden in herself in the shadows just minutes before. She was now watching him with frightened eyes.

He let out another pained cry and screamed at the top of his lungs, tears splattering onto the now-cracked tile flooring,

" I COULDN'T SAVE THEM!! I CAN'T SAVE_ ANYONE_!! I'M WORTHLESS!! I'M NOTHING!!!"

**/ The mast is gone/**

**/ So throw the anchor/**

**/ Should I jump and try to swim to land?/**

Kae pressed back against the wall, trying to control her breathing. Usually, he was cool-headed and confident about everything! She'd never seen him like this before... and it was frightening to see him this way now.

" NO! NO, STOP IT!! SHUT UP!! I DON'T WANNA LISTEN TO YOU ANYMORE!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

He cried, a deep cut on his forehead now bleeding quite profusely. Kae jumped upon the sounds of footsteps and glanced toward the doorway to see Wakka rushing inside,

" Riku!?"

The orange-haired man knelt down beside him, forcing him to stop hurting himself,

" Riku! Riku, cut that out now, ya! What the h$# are you doin'?"

**/ There on the storm/**

**/ Teach me God to understand/**

**/ Of Your will/**

**/ That I just cannot control/**

Riku tried to shake him away and screamed again, even more frightening than before,

" NO! LET ME GO!! DON'T TOUCH ME!! HIKARI!!!"

He started to claw at the man's arms and Wakka grabbed his wrists, firmly holding them in place,

" Riku! Riku, stop it now!!"

The silver-haired man let out another scream and Wakka quickly wrapped his arms around him, tears welling as he felt the man began to shudder,

" What have I done? What have I done....?"

The orange-haired man took in a deep breath, rocking his friend gently in comfort,

" Shhhsh.... it's all right..."

**/ There may I be/**

**/ In Your arms eternally/**

**/ I thank You, Lord/**

**/ You are the Calmer of the Storm/**

After a few moments, Riku quieted down enough for Wakka to lead him back to his house. Kae stepped into the light and glanced down at the cracked tile. It was now extremely bloody. A small, black object then caught her eye and she turned to find it was Riku's blindfold.

_**End Part Two**_

* * *

Well, there you have it! The End of Part TWO!! It may be awhile before I post anymore, because in a few days I'll be breaking up with my boyfriend (who I've been wit for a year and a half). Now worries, though. I've got all of you to pull me through: 

**Master of The Dark Trio**

**Mediciner**

**Rurouni Saiyan**

**aliasfan**

**Deovion**

**Merielle**

**Paopu Dreamer**

**Elli the Ghostie**

**Shadow Sunset**

**Larka Vanimedle**

**Kw4six.Kallero**

**Forever-FallenAngel**

**moongoddess931**

**zimzoogle09**

**Sai-ryo Aura Feana**

**metaphysicalhobbit**

And to anyone who has read my story and didn't review, I love you, too! Thank you all for reading this and yes, I'll keep going. There's no way I'm stopping a story with this many chapters in it!!


	68. Chapter SixtySeven

_**Part Three**_

Chapter Sixty-Seven

" Where is she?"

Riku straightened and gulped, smiling innocently,

" H-Hi, Cid! How are you this morni--?"

Cid scrambled past Riku and toward the World Exit, cursing under his breath,

" If you scratched her, I swear..."

Riku coughed as the man left the scene, scratching his head,

" Did a little more than that, actually..."

The trio had arrived back in Traverse Town just five minutes before Cid came flying out of his shop to meet them... actually, he came flying out of his shop to see if Excalibur was all right.

Kae had mentioned nothing to Tobi about Riku's breakdown the night before and it seemed the boy was still furious with him for killing Yuna. Riku had again chosen to put on his little 'happy' act for them, but she now knew the truth. He was as tormented and tortured about his past as _she_ was about hers. Kae could honestly say that she understood Riku a little better now.

" WHERE THE HE$# IS MY SHIP!?!?"

Riku gulped, silently slinking toward the Third District as Cid barreled back inside, his anger most likely as high as his blood pressure. He stormed over to Riku, grabbing the younger man by his newly-fixed coat,

" Where the he$# is she, _Riku_? And you'd better give me a good explanation as to why she AIN'T F$KIN' OUT THERE, RIGHT NOW!!"

The silver-haired man cringed, slightly biting his upper lip,

" Well..uh... it's a really funny thing, Cid. You see what had happened was--"

" WHERE'S MY F$KING SHIP, DA$$#T!!"

" Shegotsuckedintotheatmosphereofanotherworldandblewup,I'msorry,ohsosorry,Cid..."

Cid clenched his fists, releasing the frightened, 40-year-old from his death grip,

" You.... you blew up my ship.... You blew up my ship. You blew up... _my ship!?!?!_"

" It was an accident, I swear--"

Cid spun on his heel, glaring daggers at the man,

" ACCIDENT!? I TOLD YOU NOT TO TAKE MY F$KIN' SHIP!! And what do you do...?"

Riku coughed, muttering lowly as Cid continued,

" I take your f$kin' ship..."

" Are you mocking me, boy!?"

" No, sir!"

Kae giggled softly at this, then turned to find that Tobi was no where in sight.

* * *

Tobi walked along the Waterway, sighing deeply as he let his tail skim over the water. He was so confused now... so angry. His feelings for Riku at the moment were less than appealing. He almost felt like killing the man for what he did,

_' No! Don't think like that, Tobi... you know where that got you last time.'_

" Squirt?"

The azure-skinned boy spun on his heel with wide, golden eyes, startled by the sudden voice sounding from behind him. He then saw that it was only Barret and sighed, smiling a little,

" Oh... hey, Barret."

The muscly man smiled, stepping toward him slowly,

" What ch'you doin' here? Ain't you out savin' Kae with Riku?"

Tobi took in a deep breath and sat down at the water's edge, allowing his feet to dangle over the small reservoir,

" Yeah, we got her back... she's okay."

Barret nodded, sitting down beside him,

" That's good. I was beginning to worry that you wasn't ever comin' back."

The boy sighed, lowering his head,

" _I_ almost didn't..."

Barret frowned, raising an eyebrow at him,

" Wha--?"

" Barret, what is the darkness? I mean, why was it created in the first place? Why would people want to be.... so.... so...?"

" Evil," Barret began, smiling grimly,

" Well, I don't think anybody knows why there's darkness. He$#, I've asked myself that very question many times! And I _still_ ain't figured it out!"

Tobi nodded solemly, remaining silent. The 60-year-old frowned, turning to the boy in question,

" Why you askin' squirt? Somethin' bothering you?"

At first, the boy kept his mouth shut, not wanting to tell Barret how he felt about Riku becasue he knew it would then get back to the silver-haired man. He then shook his head,

" Who exactly is Ansem, Barret? And why did he choose to take Riku?"

* * *

" I said I was sorry!"

Riku shouted as Cid stormed toward the World Gate to see if his other.....ship..... was all right. He then cracked a smile and scratched his head, turning for the Second District. Kae stood silently behind him, patiently waiting for something,

" Well?"

Riku raised an eyebrow in slight confusion,

" Well, what?"

" Well, where and when did you see my father? And what _exactly did_ you promise him?"

* * *

Axel slept soundly in his room, frowning as his dreams persistantly began to haunt him...

_' " Axel?"'_

_--14 years ago--_

_The fiery-haired five-year-old looked up at his mother with a smile as she knelt down, tears streaming down her fair cheeks,_

_" What's the matter, Mommy?"_

_" I want you to take care of your sister, you understand? She needs you very much right now..."_

_The boy nodded with a frown,_

_" But... won't you be here, too?"_

_Lucrecia stood silently and headed over toward the window, pushing it open wide,_

_" I'm sorry, sweetheart.... I can't take care of you any longer."_

_She then leapt from his sight and fell downward, the boy rushing to the sill just in time to see her hit the concrete below...._

----

He awoke with a scream and sat up in bed, his eyes darting around the room in search of something. After a moment or two, he took in a deep breath and ran a hand through his fiery hair,

_' Why did you have to do that to us? You good-for-nothing bi$c#...'_

Axel then stood and headed for the door, making sure to grab his cloak on the way out.

As he entered the hall, he was surprised to find his sister talking to an unfamiliar face. The young man had lengthy, silver hair and wore an all leather outfit that consisted of a one-piece suit and belt. On that belt hung a strange looking pistol that Axel was quite sure he'd never seen before. Lakchine seemed to be enjoying his company.... and he wouldn't stand for that,

" Excuse me?"

The silver-haired boy turned his head in the red-head's direction with a curious look on his face,

" Yes?"

Lakchine turned and gulped, slapping a hand to her forehead,

" Oh no..."

" I've never seen you around here before, _kid_. What's your name?"

The boy simply laughed and turned to face him, his voice light and airy,

" I see what's going on.... You must be Lakchine's brother."

" And if I am, what's so funny about it?"

Lakchine gulped, hurrying to her brother's side as the 19-year-old stepped forward,

" Whoa! Okay, Axel, time to go, now!"

" What!?!"

As soon as they were out of the boy's sight, Lakchine turned to Axel, thwapping him on the arm.

He let out a loud cry and scowled at his sibling,

" Ow! What was that for!?"

Lakchine simply folded her arms and glared at him angrily. Axel shrugged, running a hand through his hair,

" I just wanted his name--"

" The he$# you did! You were just trying to screw things up for me and you know it!!"

Axel gave her a sour look and growled in aggrivation,

" What's your problem, anyway! I thought you liked Tobi, not some stupid pretty boy like _Cat Eyes_ back there!"

" For your information, his name is Yazoo and he's a really nice guy! Unlike _some_ people I know!"

" But what about Tobi?"

The girl stopped and lowered her gaze, pouting,

" Shut up! I don't like him, so leave me alone about it."

She then turned and started down the hall, not even turning to shout back,

" And don't even think about coming up to us again! I'm old enough to take care of _myself_!"

Axel folded his arms as the girl disappeared around the corner, sighing deeply,

" Jeez... you try to help a girl out and what does she do? ' _I can take care of myself, wah, wah, wah_...'"

" I can _still_ hear you, y'know!!"

* * *

Riku winced, taking in a few deep breaths as he shook his head,

" What... what did you ask?"

Kae frowned a little in concern, raising an eyebrow,

" My father... when did you see him?"

The silver-haired man nodded, rubbing his chest a little,

" Oh... oh right. That..."

He winced again and Kae stepped forward a bit, her concern for the blind one growing,

" Riku? Are you all right?"

Riku nodded a little, but collapsed to his knees with a yelp moments later. The auburn-haired girl rushed to his side and knelt down, lightly placing a hand on his back,

" Riku!"

He grunted, his grip on his coat tightening by the second,

" Kae....go get Cid....hurry."

The 19-year-old nodded, quickly springing to her feet and heading for the World Gate. Riku glanced back, gulping harshly as she sped through the huge wooden doors to get the now graying blonde,

" Cid! Cid, help!"

As soon as the door shut behind her and he was sure she was nowhere in sight, Riku let out a sigh of relief. He then stood calmly and dusted off his jeans, shaking his head,

" Wow... she's more gullible than I thought!"

So, after successfully pulling off his little heart attack charade, Riku hurried on to the Third District, escaping the girl's all too eager questioning. He wasn't ready to tell her what had happened between him and Sora... not yet.

* * *

Kae reentered the plaza with Cid in toe moments later, both looking extremely worried. She looked around the town square and growled, clenching her fists tightly. She should've known better. She'd been duped.

* * *

A/N: Hello, again! I'm back now. Things are still not working out with my boyfriend (i.e. he's still avoiding me so I haven't got the chance to break up with his all tooanal self yet...). But that's okay. My friend said just wait till after Christmas and have him buy you something real big and expensive and _then_ tell him it's over. Hee hee hee....

Anyway, I forgot a disclaimer in the last chapter, so here it is;

**I Do Not Own The Song ' The Calmer of The Storm'. It is property of downhere. Thank you.**

The rating on this story is very soon to go up to R... meaning it's about to get a he$#uva lot more graphic. Goody. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


	69. Chapter SixtyEight

Chapter Sixty-Eight

" Why did Ansem take Riku, Barret? Why not someone else?"

Barret sighed, shaking his head,

" That's not my place to say and I ain't know why either. You gon' hafta ask Riku--"

" I _can't_ ask Riku, Barret!"

Tobi said, turning away from the 60-year-old with a groan of aggrivation. Barret frowned, raising an eyebrow,

" An' why not?"

The azure boy sighed, turning on his heel slowly,

" Because... if I _do_ ask him, he won't tell me _anything_."

The man nodded in understanding, then shrugged,

" Well, you don't know that. He might just--"

" He hasn't before, why should he now?"

Barret frowned in confusion,

" What? Didn't he tell you....?"

Tobi sighed in defeat,

" Tell me what?"

Barret remained silent and shook his head, quickly leaving the Alleyway to head for the Third District,

" Da$$#t kid..."

Tobi snorted in offense to the man's sudden exit and ran out after him,

" Barret! Barret, tell me what!?"

By the time he made it to the centre of the Second District, however, Barret was nowhere in sight.

Growling, the boy through his hands up in the air and headed up to the Hotel. Maybe he'd find out later, maybe he wouldn't. At the moment, he didn't really care anymore. All he wanted to do was go take a nap.

* * *

Riku sighed as he entered the Third District and leaned back against the wall to the left of the Starlight Bar, out of the door's sight,

_' If Kae were to come through and see me in the middle of the plaza, she'd ring my neck for sure...'_

He then turned his gaze to the stars and sighed again, this time with a lot more heavy feelings burdening him,

_' " Sora!!"_

--_4 weeks ago--_

_Sora smirked weakly, taking one final breath,_

_" Take...care of her..."_

_He then ceased movement and fell limp, his eyes locked in a sorrowful gaze for all eternity. _

_----_

Riku massaged the tears from his eyes, his blindfold ruffling under his fingertips. He sniffled, shaking his head sadly,

" I'm so sorry..."

He then turned his gaze to the skies, tiny golden dots that made up the stars shimmering brightly in the twilight. One shimmered a bit brighter and he smiled,

_' Maybe that one is where you all are...'_

A slight pain then shot through his chest and he winced, stroking away the discomfort in his heart,

" Maybe that one is where I'll be soon..."

" Kid!"

He glanced up immediately and lowered his hand, smiling lightly as he shoved his hands in his pockets,

" Oh, hey marshmallow--"

Barret glared at him angrily and grabbed him by the arm, quickly pulling his now confused friend to the foot of the rampway. He then shoved Riku against the wall and glared him sternly in the eye,

" Why ain't you told him, yet?"

Riku raised an eyebrow in confusion, glancing over at the sparking pipe nearby for a moment. He then turned back to Barret,

" Told who what?"

* * *

Kae groaned as she entered the Second District, clenching her fists tightly,

" Slimy little ba$t#$d... I should've known he was acting."

Seconds later, Tobi emerged from the Hotel, yawning loudly as he stretched his arms out to either side. The auburn-haired beauty frowned and quickly hurried over to him,

" Tobi!"

The azure, 20-year-old raised an eyebrow as she ran up, seeming to tense,

" You're not gonna hit me... are you?"

" No," she began, glancing around the district,

" I'm not gonna hit you! I was just wondering if you knew where Riku went. He was supposed to tell me something about my father, but he faked a heart attack on me and now both Cid and I are pissed off. Have you seen him anywhere?"

Tobi's expression became grim and he shook his head,

" No. But you may wanna try the bar in the Third District. No doubt he's getting wasted..."

Kae straightened at Tobi's sudden mood swing and raised an eyebrow as the boy headed back inside,

_' That was strange... he's never said anything **that** harsh before. At least never while I was around...'_

She then shrugged and hopped over the wall, landing gracefully on the asphalt below,

" Whatever."

Sighing in slight aggrivation, the girl hurried to the Third District.

* * *

" You know da$# well what I'm talkin' about, kid. Now tell me. Why doesn't he know, yet?"

Riku lowered his head and sighed,

" Because... I haven't told him."

" And why haven't you told him--"

" BECAUSE MAYBE I DON'T WANNA TELL HIM, OKAY!? G#d..."

He pushed away from Barret and stepped toward the bar, resting his an arm on the bar's jutting doorway. Pressing his forehead against his arm, he sighed as Barret spoke again,

" He's got the right to know, y'know..."

* * *

Kae groaned as she entered the Third District and she turned the corner, speeding down the stairs,

" If that jerk is here, I swear to--"

" Everybody's got a right to know who they father is."

The girl immediately stopped and raised an eyebrow, peering our from behind the stairwell wall. She eyed Barret across the plaza. Sure enough, Riku was with him and she felt her blood boil, the urge to run out there and pound his skull in becoming increasingly appetising. But, as always, her curiosity got the better of her and she stayed put, listening in on their conversation.

* * *

" I know, I know..."

" _Then tell him_!"

" Oh, and what am I supposed to say, Barret!?"

Riku turned sharply on his heel and faced the man in a short flush of anger,

" ' Hey kid, guess what? Your dad's practically the son of the Devil! Ha, ha!' You're $##tin' yourself if you think I'll tell him that..."

Barret clenched his fist, aggrivation brewing into down right anger within him,

" Da$$#t, kid! You gotta tell him somethin'! I thought we agreed on this years ago! As soon as he was of age, you tell him everything! And da$$#t, it's been three years since he became 'of age'!! You gotta tell him and you gotta tell him now!"

Riku coughed a little,

" Then uh... how about I tell him when he's 'of _drinking_ age'?"

" That's next year."

Riku grunted, punching his left palm,

" Da$$#t..."

Barret sighed, shaking his head,

" Kid, you gotta tell him. He'll understand--"

" The he$# he will, Barret! Just knowing that he's even remotely related to that ba$t#$d will crush him!!"

Riku then shook his head,

" And besides.... what if Ansem finds out about him? He'll come after him for sure!"

Barret shook his head, placing a hand on the silver-haired man's shoulder,

" You don't know that--"

" He went after Hikari, Barret..."

Barret froze completely as Riku lowered his head and removed his hand from the blind one's shoulder,

" What...?"

Riku turned to face the muscular man, sighing deeply,

" He went after and _killed_ her... Who's to say he wouldn't kill Tobi as well?"

* * *

Ansem walked over to his desk and plucked a picture frame from it's surface. It was a picture of a 6-year-old girl with bright green eyes and chin-length, ebony hair. She was wearing a pure white dress and holding a daisy in her hand, giving the camera an innocent look. Her mother, who she practically mirrored, had both arms wrapped around their daughter and was smiling past the camera at him.

Ansem smiled sadly back and gazed at the child, tracing his fingers over her hair,

" My little princess.... Hikari."

He then raised an eyebrow, a shrugging tone in his voice,

" Shame you had to die so young. And with so much to live for...."

Lightning flashed through the window and he set the picture back down on the desk, chuckling in low volume as he exited the Library.

* * *

A/N: BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! 


	70. Chapter SixtyNine

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Riku sighed, turning away from Barret,

" I can't tell him..."

" You _have_ to!"

" I. _Can't_. Barret..."

Barret shook his head as Riku spun around to face him again. The man seemed defeated and desperate,

" I can't...."

Riku then turned and headed back through the door to the First District, leaving Barret to stand as the sparking pipe finally fell into silence.

* * *

Kae gasped, pressing herself against the stairwell wall, 

" Oh my G#d...."

She went over everything she'd just heard repeatedly, each time coming to only one conclusion,

_' Is Tobi.... is Tobi Ansem's son?'_

* * *

That night, Riku tossed and turned in his sleep, horrible memories flooding back to him. Could he never have a normal dream anymore? Sweat beads formed on his skin and he grunted, slowly shaking his head, 

" No.... no...."

His blindfold lay on the table beside the bed and in his sleep, he reached over and swiped it off the nightstand's surface, allowing it toflutter to the cold, wooden floor...

--_20 years ago--_

_He awoke on the floor of their cottage, the back of his head throbbing with pain. He felt as though he'd been hit by a truck.... or two.... or three....._

_A sudden piercing memory shot through his mind and he stood immediately, glancing around at their trashed living space,_

_" Hikari..."_

_In a flash, he was barreling through the woods as fast as his feet would go. He could hear her screams echoing coldly in his head and the memory of his nightmare came back to him. It was Hikari. She was running across the vast green plain with a black bundle in her arms, an Unknown attacking her from behind. It stabbed her repeatedly and then...._

_' No, it was just a dream... just a dream...'_

_Then he had heard wailing. At the memory of the cries, he pumped his legs faster, his vision beginning to blur. He shook his head, clearing his sight again,_

_" Hikari!!"_

_Nothing. He soon saw that the final trees of the forest were coming up and he sped faster, wincing as the blaring sunlight blinded him for a moment,_

_" HIKARI!!"_

_The image dissipated into a cloud of harsh white light, the only other colour being that of a pair of vicious yellow eyes..._

_----_

Riku let out a loud cry and shot up in bed, his hand knocking the nightstand over in the process. The lamp rested upon it crashed to the floor and shattered, startling him and everyone else in the room. Tobi yawned and turned over, sitting up in bed,

" What the He$#'s goin' on?"

Riku opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a faint squeak. The bathroom door quickly swung open and Barret stepped out,

" Cut it out with that racket! You ain't the only ones in this Hotel, y'kn--"

He then noted that Riku was extremely flushed and trembling and he frowned,

" Kid? Kid, what's wrong?"

Riku wiped his lips with a shaky hand, his eyes beginning to well up with tears. He then ran that same hand through his hair, images of his nightmarish memory flashing through his mind. Immediately, he stood and headed in the door's general direction, grunting with a sad whimper as he hit the wall instead.

Tobi sat up at this, curiously gazing on as Riku's hand felt along the wall for the knob. As soon as he'd found it, he threw the door open and exited the room with an anguished groan. The boy stood at this, his anger at the man washing away for a moment to be replaced by concern. Barret waved him back to bed and hurried out the door after Riku, quietly shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Barret entered the hall to find that it was empty and he cursed, quickly hurrying outside, 

_' Maybe he's out here...'_

Upon exiting the building, he was relieved to find Riku standing by the banister right out in front of the Hotel. The silver-haired man was still shaking and as a cold breeze swept through, he stopped. Barret tensed at this subtle motion and cautiously stepped toward his friend,

" Kid...? You okay?"

" I'm fine."

Barret froze in fear, recognizing the voice that had emerged from Riku's lips,

" K-Kid?"

Riku turned slowly, an empty expression etched on his features. The dark-skinned man felt his mouth fall open and he gazed in fright at his friend's now piercing gold eyes.

Riku raised an eyebrow,

" Is something wrong?"

Barret shook his head, his eyes focusing on a now semi-tearful Riku. The man's eyes were back to the pale jade they'd always been, well, at least since he'd turned 20. The golden glow had faded from them, if it had ever been there at all,

" Nothin'... nothin's wrong. Jes' came to check up on ya..."

Riku nodded, turning back to the plaza he couldn't see,

" Well, you didn't have to.... I'm fine. Perfectly fine..."

Barret heard the man let out a wavery breath and he frowned, shaking his head,

" No, you ain't..."

He stepped up beside Riku, who immediately turned his head away,

" What's wrong?"

Riku sniffled, lowering his head to blindly gaze at the bench below,

" I said it was nothing--"

" And when I see a pig flyin' around, I'ma believe you. Now what happened?"

Riku was silent for a moment and he closed his eyes, raising his head slightly with a smirk,

" Look, Barret. There goes one now..."

Barret raised an eyebrow and glanced out to where Riku was motioning. His eyes caught the sight of a tiny creature struggling to glide through the air after it's mother, repeatedly shrieking, '' kupo!'' as the gentle breeze battered it about.

Barret glared down at his smirking friend and sighed,

" Those are moogles, kid. Now tell me..."

Riku sighed, raising his head toward the sky,

" Do you think she's out there somewhere, marshmallow?"

Barret nodded, knowing instantly who he was speaking of when he said 'she',

" I'm sure she is... and she's probably wonderin' why she ev'a loved an idiot like _you_--"

" I'm serious, Barret."

The muscly senior nodded,

" I know. I'm sorry..."

They were silent again and Riku sniffled, blindly gazing down at his hands,

" Will I _ever_ see her again?"

Barret sighed and turned his gaze to the stars, another breeze blowing past,

" I dunno... There's a lot of stars out there, kid. You never know which one she may be on... if she's on one at all."

Riku glanced over at Barret, his eyes seeming to stare past the man,

" If she is on one....."

He then lowered his head sadly,

" Then, I'll be there soon."

Barret's gaze immediately fell upon the man, his mahogany eyes full of concern and fear,

" What'd you say?"

Riku took in a deep breath, heading past Barret and down the stairs,

" It's only a matter of time, Barret... you and I both know that. I can't fight _him_ off much longer."

Barret watched quietly as the man stepped to the centre of the plaza, Riku turning to face him shortly after,

" And when that time comes...... you have to be there to stop me."

Barret tensed at the man's words and shook his head, hurrying down the stairs to him,

" No! Kid, don't you ev'a let me hear you talkin' like that again! Ev'a!"

He grabbed Riku by the shoulder and shook him a little, Riku sadly lowering his head as the elder man spoke,

" Listen to me, we can stop this! You got yo' pills, remember! Hikari made 'em so that--"

" So that it would stop the pain, Barret..."

Barret straightened, his shoulders slumping as Riku raised his head,

" That's all. It won't keep the darkness from taking over."

The 60-year-old let go of his friend and shook his head,

" No... no, there's gotta be a way--"

" There is _no_ way..." Riku began, running his hand through his hair,

" No way other than death."

Again, Barret shook his head,

" I don't buy that. I don't buy that for a second..."

Riku headed over to the nearest wall and carefully walked along it, stopping to sit upon reaching the closest bench. He then brought his hands to his face and massaged his temples gently as Barret came to sit beside him,

" There has _got_ to be a way, kid. I won't let you die like that."

" You don't have a choice, Barret..."

Sighing, Riku leaned back and looked to the sky,

" And neither do I."

" Of course you do," Barret began, turning to face the sorrow-stricken man,

" You always got a choice. Remember when you first came to Midgar? I gave you a choice, you remember that?"

Riku snorted, smiling sadly,

" Yeah. You said ' You either keep your hands off my girls or you die in your sleep'!"

" And lookit that! You still alive..."

Riku laughed, batting a few tears from his eyes,

" Well, seeing as how you had a huge a$$ gun for a hand, I was pretty smart with my decision."

Barret snickered, shaking his head,

" You was lucky it was jammed when I found out about you and Hikari!"

" Yeah, but you didn't tell me that, then!!"

They both shared a laugh and Riku shook his head, sighing as he glanced back up at the stars,

" I'll miss this."

Barret shook his head,

" You ain't gonna leave him, y'know. I won't let you. He loves you too much for you to take off dying now..."

The silver-haired man smiled, nodding shortly,

" I know."

They were silent again and Riku closed his eyes, standing slowly,

" Thanks..."

Barret glanced up at him, met with his faint, pale jade gaze,

" For what?"

Riku smiled again, blinking slowly,

" For giving me hope."

* * *

As they re-entered the Hotel, Riku quietly picked up the nightstand as Barret swept away the shattered lamp bits and dumped them into the trash. The blind one then glanced up and smiled, noting from the loud snoresthat Tobi had already fallen back to sleep. He could see when he closed his eyes thatthe boy's covers had fallen to the floor, so he stepped over and picked them up off the ground to gently tuck him in like he used to when the boy was 5-years-old. He smiled, delicately running his hand through the boy's soft, crimson hair, 

" I'll tell you....someday."

* * *

Ansem grinned as he gazed out at the Rising Falls, his golden eyes shimmering, 

" So.... now you know just what I've done."

He then turned and headed toward the Grand Hall, smirking madly as his footsteps echoed across the marble floors,

_' I'll be looking forward to our last battle, puppet.... eagerly looking forward to it.'_


	71. Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy

The very next morning, the sun shone in through the window and fell on the sleeping form of Tobi. Riku smirked at the sight of the boy and crept to the end of the bed, grabbing hold of the sheets with a loud snicker. With one swift movement, he jerked the sheets away from the boy and laughed as he received a low grumble in return,

" Time to get up!!"

Tobi pulled his pillows over his head and grumbled again, shivering as Riku opened the window and let a cold breeze in. Riku then smirked and hopped up onto the bed, grinning as he bounced up and down like a mad man,

" GETUPGETUPGETUUPPP!!!"

Tobi growled lowly and shot up in bed, pushing Riku off balance,

" What's the matter with you!? Cut it out, Riku!!"

Riku swung his arms around madly and let out a yelp, falling backward off the bed. He hit the ground with a loud thump and frowned up at the azure boy,

" What's the matter with _you_? Sounds like you don't know how to have fun anymore..."

The boy stood and pulled his turtleneck on roughly, mumbling to himself as Riku stood and shut the window,

" Well, it's kind of hard to have 'fun' when you're still grieving over the loss of a friend..."

The silver-haired man sighed and lowered his head as he turned around, the excess cloth of his blindfold swaying with the rest of his hair as he turned,

" I'm sorry for hurting you--"

" Tell that to Wakka... or better yet, tell that to Yuna! I think she's the one who needs to hear it the most."

" I _have_ apologized to her... before and _after_ what I did. Wakka as well."

Tobi glanced up at Riku, then turned away and shook his head,

" Whatever."

" No, it's not 'whatever'! Look, I know how you feel, kid. But blaming me will get you nowhere--"

" You're the one who KILLED her, Riku!! Of course blaming you will get me somewhere."

" And where is that, huh," Riku began, folding his arms,

" On the long road to bitterness? I've been down that road many times, kid, and believe me, that is the _last_ place you want to go..."

" Why did you do it then, huh?"

Tobi spun on his heel, his single, silver earring glinting in the moonlight,

" Why did you want her Ring so badly?"

Riku lowered his head and silenced for a moment, Tobi snorting in disgust,

" You know what? Forget I even asked. You wouldn't tell me anyhow..."

He turned for the door, halting as he reached for the knob,

" The Keyblade."

Tobi turned slowly, shocked that Riku was actually going to confess to wanting the Keyblade.

Riku looked up at him confidently and with no hint of insidious intent in his voice, calmly said,

" If Ansem gets a hold of it, we're all done for. I won't let that happen."

The boy lowered his head as the man continued,

" Yuna knew this... that's why she willingly gave up her Ring."

He remained silent as Riku walked over and opened the door slightly,

" Forgive me if you want. I don't need to explain myself any further."

He then waited for Tobi to move, opening it the rest of the way before exiting the room. Riku paused outside before heading for Cid's shop, sighing,

" We're leaving in 20 minutes. Be ready and meet me out by the Gate. Otherwise, we're leaving you."

The door then shut behind the boy.

* * *

Kae sighed as she stepped out of the shower and she dried out her hair with the towel, frowning as she slid on her undergarments,

_' Tobi is Ansem's son.... isn't he?'_

She slid her coat on and zipped it up, then reached for her gloves,

_' But if that's true, then how come Ansem doesn't know? Or does he know and just not care? And what about Tobi? If I remember right, he looks nothing like Ansem at all... maybe he looks more like his mother.'_

The girl sighed again, noting the jagged scars etched onto the fair skin of her hands. She frowned, jerking her gloves on in anger,

" Da$# Heartless..."

* * *

Riku grinned as he cautiously entered Cid's shop, quietly heading up to the front desk. He gulped and tapped the bell a few times, ducking fearfully as Cid stumbled out of the backroom,

" What the f$c# do _you_ want, shipwrecker?"

The silver-haired man peered over the counter, offering Cid a smile,

" Hi, Cid.... I uh... I need to ask you a favour..."

Cid glared at him, chewing on the twig he'd set in his mouth. Coughing shortly, Riku stood up straight and lowered his gaze,

" I... uh.... I need to borrow a ship."

Cid bit down hard, the twig breaking in his mouth. He spit the broken piece from his mouth and groaned, heading back into his living space,

" I need a smoke."

Riku hopped over the counter and followed Cid into the back, noting the nice sofa and big screen that were resting back there,

" Nice place... I mean, Cid, c'mon! It'll be the last ship I ever borrow from you, I swear!"

" F$c# no! Remember what you did to Excalibur? And Highwind, too? Two deaths is enough, a$$hole."

Riku sighed, running a hand through his hair as Cid lit his cigarette and puffed at it angrily,

" Cid, please! I really need to borrow a ship! If I don't, Ansem could take another Ring for himself!"

" An' that'd be my f$c#in' problem, how?"

Cid headed past him, the cinders on his cigarette burning a bright red in colour. He picked up a plate of cold Chinese food on his tiny kitchen's counter and shoved it in the microwave, tapping his fingers impatiently as the numbers counted down from 3:00.

Riku sighed, shaking his head,

" If uh... if Ansem gets that Ring, he'll be headed here for the one I have. Do you really want to have to deal with him, again?"

Cid immediately spun on his heel and put an arm around Riku, leading him to a nearby closet. Upon opening that closet, he eyed a set of three hooks and pulled the keys from the one farthest him, handing them to the silver-haired man,

" She's the last one I got, have fun. Keep her fer as long as ya f$#in' need her, kiddo."

He then led Riku back to the front of the shop and shoved him through the counter door,

" Now, get yer filthy a$$ out of my shop... dirty little $#!t..."

Riku smirked and gladly hurried out of there before Cid could change his mind. Little did he know, Cid wouldn't _be_ changing his mind...

* * *

Riku stood on the grassy plains beyond Traverse Town, gazing at the Gummi Ship in disbelief,

" You're kidding me..."

" Riku!"

The silver-haired man turned to see Tobi barreling out of the World Gate and into the sun, panting heavily,

" Don't.... leave....yet!"

Riku shook his head and smiled at the boy,

" So, you made it after all. And with one second to spare, too. Where's Kae?"

" I'm right here..."

Kae stepped through the World Gate and folded her arms,

" So, where's the ship?"

* * *

" Ugghhh.... it smells like $#!t in here!"

Riku shrugged as he easily piloted the ship, 'Marijuana', through interspace,

" Funny...smells like pot to me."

Tobi groaned, massaging his temples,

" You _would_ know, wouldn't you, _Mr. 'This looks like a real castle'_?"

" I have no recollection of that!"

" Yeah, because you got high."

The boy then laughed and leaned over the seat,

" Riku coulda got a job at Cid's store... but he got high."

" Stop that."

" Riku coulda got an SAT score... but he got high."

Riku frowned glaring back at the boy from the corner of his eye,

" I'm warning you..."

" Riku coulda had a house and a car.... but he got high."

" _Tobi..._"

" Because he got high, because he got high, because he got high..."

" Would you stop it with that already!?"

" DA DA DA DA DA DA!!!"

* * *

A few hours later, Tobi groaned and leaned over the seat again,

" Are we there yet?"

" No."

" Now?"

" _No_."

" What about now?"

" NO, NOW CUT IT OUT!!"

Tobi snickered and leaned back again, folding his hands behind his head. He glanced over at Kae and raised an eyebrow,

" Something wrong?"

The girl groaned, massaging her temples with eyes closed,

" My head is killing me..."

Tobi leaned over the seat, tilting his head in confusion,

" Say, Riku? Why did we have to take _'Pot'_ anyway?"

" It's not _'Pot'_," Riku began, snickering uncontrollably,

" It's _'Marijuana'_. And it was the last ship Cid had."

" Really? But I saw him hiding one this morning..."

* * *

" Six million, two hundred and ninety-nine thousand, three hundred and sixty-two packets of pot on the wall; Six million, two hundred and ninety-nine thousand, three hundred and sixty-two packets of pot..."

Riku groaned, his grip tightening on the controls,

" Tobi?"

" Six million, two hundred and - yea, Riku- ninety-nine thousand, three hundred and sixty-one packets of pot on the wall..."

" Would you STOP THAT!!"

Tobi pouted, folding his arms with a mock pout,

" Fine!"

There was silence for a few moments, until Kae started laughing for no apparent reason whatsoever. She then stopped suddenly, gazing in awe at her hands.

Tobi then shrugged and began looking at his hands as well, smiling as a new song popped into his head,

"Hello, mother. Hello, father. I've been smoking. Marijuana..."

* * *

" ....crack is good. Weed is better. I'm so f$c#ed up I can hardly write this letter."

Riku laughed as the song finished and shook his head, smiling brightly,

" That song always gets me right here..."

Tobi snorted, shaking his head,

" In your stomach?"

Riku looked down to see that his hand was in fact, over his stomach instead of his heart. They both started laughing again, startled by a sudden sputtering emerged from the _'Marijuana'_. Kae raised an eyebrow, her mind now completely foggy,

" Roadkill...?"

Tobi laughed at that, but Riku didn't. He simply shook his head,

" No... I dunno what that was."

The ship sputtered somemore and Riku frowned,

" Uh oh... there it goes again."

Kae looked out the window and pointed to a nearby world,

" Why don't you land us over there?"

He nodded, turning the ship in that direction,

" Okay..."

The world came into view, coming closer and closer until.......

" You missed it, Riku! The world's back there!"

" Oh... oops!"

* * *

About ten minutes later, they landed safely on the world and piled out of the ship, all laughing hysterically. Riku shrugged, staggering backward to hit a nearby tree,

" What are the odds of missing a world 13 times in a row?"

Kae sighed, shaking her head completely clear of the fog it was in with a frown,

" Remind me never to get into that thing again."

Tobi sighed, his high wearing away as well,

" Well, that was very....interesting."

Riku closed his eyes and massaged them lightly for a few moments, the haze in his brain slowly dissipating,

" Whoa... what a trip..."

Tobi raised an eyebrow and frowned, glancing around at the heavily forested area they'd landed in,

" Hey, Riku? Where exactly are we?"

Riku glanced up and noted the many green silhouettes in his view. It seemed oddly familiar to him... and his heart began to lurch violently. He shook his head, attempting to shrug the feeling away,

" I-I don't know... we should see if we can find a town or something."

He then started for a clearing that he could barely make out lying just ahead, Tobi and Kae following in toe.

From behind them, a vicious creature lurked within the bushes. It intently watched the silver-haired man, it's mystic, grayish-sapphire eyes gleaming in the fading sunlight. Faint sprinkles of snow crunched under it's paws as it slinked out into the open, it's haunches high as it stood guard of a tiny cottage that was hidden deeper within the forest...

* * *

Tobi sighed as they crossed the open plain, shivering as a chilling breeze swept through,

" I thought you said we'd find a town, Riku... I'm freezing my a$$ off here!"

Riku smirked, completely comfortable in the cold weather,

" What can I say? You should've worn a jacket..."

_" Riku!"_

The silver-haired man immediately froze, the echoing voice chilling him more than the wind. Tobi turned on his heel, raising an eyebrow at him,

" Riku? You okay?"

Riku remained silent, the image of an ebony-haired woman entering his mind. She was carrying something in her arms, something very precious....

--

_The woman smiled, giggling as the 3-month-old in her arms tugged at her elbow-length hair. They were walking across the plain in the opposite direction, heading back for the forest. She giggled again as it cooed and ran her fingers over it's chubby cheeks,_

_" Yeah, you're gonna see your Daddy, soon. That's right... you look so much like him already! He'll be so happy when he sees you..."_

_" Excuse me, miss?"_

_She stopped and turned to face the person speaking to her. He was cloaked in shadows and she frowned,_

_" May I help you?"_

_A few seconds of blurred images and the woman screamed, her baby wailing as the man attacked them._

_" Riku?"_

--

Riku shook his head and glanced up to see Tobi's hand waving past his eyes,

" Yoo hoo? Riku, you in there?"

The silver-haired man knocked the boy's arm away and shook his head,

" Cut that out! Now, c'mon. The sooner we reach town, the better."

Kae snorted, folding her arms with a shiver as another breeze swept past,

" I'd like to see this town you're speaking of..."

Riku quickly breezed past her,

" Then open your eyes."

The girl raised an eyebrow and looked straight ahead,

" I can't see anything!"

Tobi smiled, jumping up in excitement,

" I can! Looks like it's just a few miles from here!"

Kae pouted in envy at him, furious that he could see what she couldn't. She then narrowed her eyes and peered intently at the horizon, just barely able to make out the outline of a tiny village...

* * *

...that turned out to be a big city.

Riku frowned, glancing all around at the place,

" It sure has grown in the past 25 years..."

Tobi shivered, rubbing his arms up and down furiously,

" Where are we, Riku?"

Kae nodded, also wishing to know what town they'd entered,

" Yeah, what is this place?"

Riku opened his mouth to say something when a voice came from behind him,

" Riku?"

They all turned to see an elderly woman standing there, holding a fairly large grocery bag in her arms. She blinked at him in disbelief, her warm, hazel eyes glittering in the dying sunlight,

" Is it really you?"


	72. Chapter SeventyOne

Chapter Seventy-One

Tobi and Kae shot each other a confused look, then turned to Riku. The man had his head bowed, almost shamefully and he refused to raise his gaze as he turned to face the woman,

" Hello, Mei."

* * *

" My goodness! It's been years since I've seen you."

The group now sat in Mei's small apartment, Tobi watching in slight amusement as the tiny woman hastily hustled back and forth distributing hot tea. She handed him a cup and he smiled, nodding to her gratefully,

" Thank you."

With that, she shot him a strange look; a look that instantly made him feel unwanted in her company. He gulped and sipped at the steaming tea silently, glancing over at Kae. She was doing the same. Mei offered a cup to Riku, seemingly appauled when the man declined,

" No, thanks."

She frowned, setting it in front of him anyway. The woman then hurried back to the kitchen to fix herself some, Riku sighing deeply,

" Forgot how stubborn you were..."

Tobi leaned closer to Riku, his eyes shimmering with curiousity,

" Psst! Riku, who is this lady, huh?"

Riku turned his head toward him and opened his mouth to speak, but Mei, again, cut him off,

" So, what brings you back to Kalm?"

Forcing a smile, the man gritted his teeth,

" Um... it's complicated. So, how have you been?"

" Well, I can't complain any," the woman began.

" I've been living _on my own_ for the past 25 years, my husband's fortune is still supporting me well, the weather's nice, that da$#ed fox is no longer around to bother me..."

Riku and Tobi yawned simultaneously as she continued and Kae couldn't help but laugh,

_' This woman is pretty pompous if you ask me... and boring!'_

Mei cleared her throat and after about ten minutes of listing off things that bothered her,(having revealed to the group just how much of an egotistical, snooty, racist she was)smiled at Riku again,

" So, how's--"

The woman was then interrupted by the shrill ring of a telephone,

" I'm so sorry. I'll be back in just a second."

She then hurried out of the room and they all remained quiet until they heard her say,

" Hello?"

Tobi let out a sigh and sunk back in his chair,

" Sheesh, she's a _nasty_ little woman! During that entire time she was talking about race, it felt like she was eyeing me with...laser beams or something!"

Kae nodded,

" And when she was talking about all the ' slutty girls these days' I could've sworn she shot me a few demonic glares..."

Riku nodded,

" That's Mei, all right... snooty, over-bearing, indiscreet Mei..."

Tobi glanced over at a nearby end table and raised an eyebrow. There on it's surface was the picture of a young woman with lengthy, black hair and brilliant green eyes. He cautiously stood, making sure that Mei was clearly not re-entering the room, and stepped over to it, plucking it from the table,

" _Whoa_... who's she?"

Kae walked up beside him and looked down at the picture. The woman was sitting in front of an evergreen bush, the lush, emerald colours around her effectively contrasting her pale skin and pure white dress,

" She's pretty... hey, Riku? Do you know her?"

Riku turned to them and shrugged,

" Dunno. I can't see, remember?"

The girl rolled her eyes, sighing deeply as she looked back at the picture,

" Fine... she's got long dark hair, bright green eyes... her ears kinda come up in a point. Um.... she very fair-skinned, her nose is a little on the small side, she's wearing a white dress..."

Tobi nodded, grinning like an idiot,

" And she's really hot, too."

They both then turned to see that Riku was standing behind them, his face completely pale and his body slightly shaking. Kae raised an eyebrow at him,

" Riku?"

" Let me see it."

Tobi handed him the picture and pouted, shoving his hands in his pockets,

" I thought you couldn't see... but, y'know... whatever."

The man turned away from them, stepping back over to his seat on the couch. He traced his trembling fingers over the glass covering the image and let out a sigh, shaking his head,

_' I know I can't see it.... but it's you, isn't it? Hikari?'_

" Who is she, Riku?"

Tobi asked, stepping around behind the couch. Kae walked over and sat down beside him, eyeing his features for the answer,

" Riku?"

Riku took in a deep breath, fixated on the green silhouette of the picture frame before him,

" She was....my wife."

* * *

" AXEL!!"

Axel turned away from the window to see a fuming Lakchine marching up to him,

" Why, yes, dear sister--"

" Don't you 'dear sister' me, Axel," Lakchine began, holding up a shredded, leather outfit,

" Where's Yazoo!?"

They both then heard a tap come from behind him and turned around to see a completely naked Yazoo standing outside of the window,

" As much as I enjoy exhibiting my package to the populace, I would appreciate it if you let me back inside. It's a bit chilly..."

Axel smirked smugly, turning back to Lakchine. The girl's jaw hit the floor.

* * *

Tobi's eyes widened and he stuttered in disbelief,

" Your... your what now?"

Riku took off his left glove and the two saw that on his ring finger was a ring made of twine. They all remained silent, Mei re-entering the room with a racial comment that no one dared repeat. She then smiled brightly and noticed the picture in Riku's hands,

" Ah, so I see you found my niece's picture. Funny... seeing as how I thought you were blind."

" He's not the one who found it," Tobi began, a soft rage broiling within him,

"_ I _did. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd let him alone..."

Mei shot him an aggitated smirk,

" And I'd appreciate it if _you_ would leave my household, but seeing as you're still here, I'll treat Riku anyway I please."

Tobi growled and started toward the woman, shocked as he heard Riku speak up from behind him,

" Don't bother, kid. She's always been this way."

He then stood, jerking his glove back on as lay the picture on the coffee table and he turned to face Mei,

" Isn't that right, _Auntie_?"

Mei glared at him, her sweet facade now torn to shreds,

" You were never good enough for her, you filthy roué. I'm surprised she even thought to marry a bloodthirsty beast like you.... or did she only marry you because she didn't have a choice--"

Riku snarled at her, clenching his fists tightly as he headed for the door,

" That's enough. C'mon, let's get out of here and let this _old hag_ rot in her he$# hole _peacefully_..."

Tobi was immediately taken aback by Riku's harsh words, but he quickly followed out after him despite his shock,

" Riku, wait!"

He glanced back to see Kae following him in toe, but also to see that Mei was shooting him a fierce glare.

* * *

" Riku!"

Tobi shouted, finally catching up to the man as they reached the plains. Riku kept his steady march away from the town that Tobi and Kae now knew as 'Kalm', remaining silent. The boy had to jog to be able to keep up, his tail swishing in aggravation behind him,

" What was that all about?"

The man shook his head, angrily sucking in a breath,

" Nothing. That bi$c# just needs a reason to go off, that's all...."

Tobi nodded, frowning,

" Yeah... but she seemed to really hate you. Why?"

" Why not?"

Riku said shortly, unknowingly hastening his pace,

" I stole her niece away from her... what other reason is there?"

Again, Tobi nodded, speeding up to stay in line with the silver-haired man,

" Yeah, but... what did she mean by ' she only married you cause she didn't have a choice'--"

" Just DROP it, okay!?"

Riku shouted, stopping to ''look'' the boy dead in the eye. Tobi clenched his fists tightly, new found anger melding with his anger over Yuna's death,

" STOP YELLING AT ME!!"

" THEN STOP ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS YOU'D NEVER UNDERSTAND!!"

Riku began his march again, this time heading forward alone.

" Who says I wouldn't understand, Riku?"

The man halted in his tracks, spinning on his heel in aggrivation. Kae stood not too far behind Tobi, who had stopped completely, and paused to watch the outcome of their little squabble.

The silver-haired man marched right up to the boy, tired anger etched into his features,

" You wanna know what she meant when she said that? Okay, here's what. I got Hikari pregnant."

Tobi's eyes widened as the man turned and started back for the forest, calling back,

" I got her pregnant and now she's dead. So, what does it matter anymore..."

* * *

The group headed back to the forest in silence, the outburst Riku had made at the end of his quarrel with Tobi stunning _both_ of the younger members of their party. Upon reaching the forest, Tobi braved a few words with the still-fuming man,

" So... are we leaving now?"

" No."

Riku spoke softly to him now, in an almost apologetic tone. The boy nodded, falling back into pace with Kae. The girl was as silent as ever, something not uncommon to her character. She was normally quiet toward everyone, unless she was screaming at Tobi or something along those lines. Tobi sighed as silence fell upon the group again, thinking back to what Riku had said earlier,

_' " I got her pregnant and now she's dead. So, what does it matter anymore..."'_

He frowned at the memory, placing both hands behind his head as they walked,

_' Of course it still matters... if you got her pregnant that would mean you had to love her on some degree. And what happened to the child?'_

Kae was the next to speak,

" So, where are we headed then... if we're not leaving, that is?"

Riku stopped, pointing straight ahead,

" There."

Both Tobi and Kae looked up to see that in the middle of a clearing up ahead sat a tiny little cottage. The moonlight poured in from the forest canopy, shining an unatural light upon it. Tobi shivered, not only from the sight of it, but also from a sudden chilling wind that swept through the trees,

" Yeesh... is it just me or does this place have a little too much of a _Hansel & Gretel_ feel to it?"

" C'mon," Riku said, starting up the walk,

" We'll stay here for the night and head out tomorrow."

* * *

" How could you do that!?"

Lakchine screamed, Yazoo now fully dressed and sitting on Axel's desk behind her. Axel, who was sitting on his bed as Lakchine chewed him out, shrugged,

" Dunno. Just felt like it, I guess."

Lakchine thwapped him over the head, marching out of the room,

" Well, don't ever _feel_ like doing it again!! Now apologize to him and mean it!! I'll be waiting outside..."

Yazoo smirked as he watched her leave, standing as Axel shamefully walked over to him. The fiery-haired Nobody shrugged, running a hand through his hair,

" Sorry."

Yazoo nodded, leaning closer to him,

" Don't be... I'm not."

Axel's eyebrow immediately raised as Yazoo stepped back. The boy then winked at him and quietly exited the room, greeting his sister cheerfully,

" So, how old did you say your brother was?"

At the sound of this, Axel's eyebrow began twitching spasmodically.

* * *

Tobi gulped as they entered the dark cabin, carefully preparing himself for a battle if need be. Kae, however, found the home to be quite... well.... homey. Riku sighed as he walked over to a nearby lamp,

" Let's see if this still works..."

As he turned the lamp on, he immediately stiffened to find that an extremely angry wolf was stationed a few feet before him...

* * *

A/N: Ugghh! I HATE exams! They're so long and boring... oh, hello! My happy mood is back now, I've found a new boy to pine over! So, the story won't be taking any sad turns until Chapter Seventy-- #clamps hand over mouth# -- oops! Can't tell you that. Rating soon to rise! W00T!!

Hee hee. I made Yazoo gay....


	73. Chapter SeventyTwo

Chapter Seventy-Two

" Don't move."

Riku said calmly, Tobi and Kae both straightening at the sound of the wolf's vicious growl. The wolf's haunches raised with every snarl, it's teeth bared at the silver-haired man and his companions. Tobi's breathing pace quickened and he gulped down his fear, barely braving to whisper,

" Riku..."

Riku subtly waved him back,

" You and Kae back out of the house slowly. Try not to draw attention to yourselves or it'll attack."

Kae's eyes widened at the man's words and she softly shouted,

" What're you gonna do!?"

The wolf immediately turned it's glare to her and she sucked in a deep breath, slowly beginning to back pace. Riku turned his head slightly, keeping one eye on the wolf at all times,

" I'll stay here and try to distract it while you two get away. _That's_ what I'll do!"

The creature's eyes found Riku again and it stepped forward threateningly, it's thick saliva dripping onto the wooden floor.

Riku tensed at this and softly whispered,

" Now, get out of here."

Kae nodded, grabbing Tobi by the shirt as she backed away. The boy seemed a little hesitant to follow, but he did so anyway, keeping his eyes on Riku as he backed out of the house.

" Shut the door."

Riku said, a bit too loudly. The wolf stepped forward again, it's growl becoming more ferocious as it neared him. Tobi did as he was told and carefully shut the door as he left.

* * *

The boy nervously paced outside, Kae eyeing him in aggravation,

" That _won't_ help any, y'know."

Tobi flipped her the bird and kept pacing, jumping as he heard a loud crash come from inside the cottage,

" Riku!?"

He looked in through the window to see that the wolf had leapt up on the table where the lamp had been and knocked it over, causing the bulb to blow out.

He could just barely see Riku's silhouette dart around a set of shady furniture, the wolf's eyes following him intently...

* * *

" Easy now..."

Riku said as he stepped around the couch, the wolf walking to the end of the table nearest him. It bared it's teeth and let out a vicious yowl, as if to say, 'Get out!'.

Riku readied his staff for a fight with it, taking in a few nervous breaths,

" Look... _I_ own this place. If anyone is supposed to leave, it's you..."

It snarled at him in disagreement and Riku raised an eyebrow at it, noting it's colouring for the first time since he'd seen it,

" Hey..."

It's coat was a light grey in colour and a large white spot marked nearly it's entire left side. Riku eased up a bit and smiled,

" I remember that mark..."

--_24 years ago--_

_" Riku! Riku, get up! You have to come see!!"_

_He groaned, slowly opening his eyes to see Hikari's cheerful gaze upon him,_

_" What? What is it?"_

_She giggled and hurried out of the bedroom, pretty much presuming he_ _would follow her._

_Sighing, he clambered out of bed and frowned. The sun wasn't even up yet. Yawning, he staggered out of the bedroom and into their living space, raising an eyebrow as she turned around,_

_" It's Roux! She's having babies!!"_

_The 16-year-old knelt down beside her and smiled. Sure enough, the arctic fox had given birth to about 6 pups already and one more was on the way._

_He glanced down to see that one of the pups was slowly inching it's way away from the others. It whimpered a bit and he frowned, gently running his fingers along it's sleeks coat,_

_" There, there, little guy..."_

_Hikari smiled at the sight and giggled, looking up at him happily,_

_" You want to name it?"_

_He blinked, then shrugged,_

_" Okay.... how about Jun?"_

_The palm-sized wolf pup nuzzled against his finger, it's whimpering ceasing as it tried to nurse on it. He straightened, Hikari's laughter echoing in his ears._

_Then glancing back down at the pup, he noted the large white spot covering the left side of it's body..._

_----_

" Jun."

The wolf seemed to acknowledge it's name and it eased up a bit, lowering it's haunches. Cautiously, Riku stepped over to the animal and extended his hand to it, taking in a deep breath,

" Relax... it's only me."

Jun growled as Riku came closer, baring it's teeth at him in warning. Riku straightened, quickly becoming stern with it,

" Jun! Cut that out right now! You know da$# well how to act around family..."

The wolf still snarled as Riku came closer, cautiously sniffing at the man's extended fingers. After a few seconds, it looked up at him with pale eyes and relaxed.

Riku eased up at this, smiling at the animal as it wagged it's tail,

" See. You do remember sucking my fingER!!"

Suddenly, Jun pounced at him, causing the silver-haired man to fall backward onto the floor...

* * *

" Riku!!"

Tobi immediately scrambled for the door and threw it open, barrelling inside with Kae following not far behind. The wolf rushed out from behind the couch and snarled at the boy, baring it's teeth angrily. Tobi growled right back, stepping toward the creature slowly. Kae gasped as she eyed the wolf's teeth. There was a blood on them. She placed a hand on one of Yuna's Tiny Bees and tensed, prepared to fire if the need arise.

" Jun, cool it!"

The wolf suddenly let out a whimper as it was tugged backward and both Kae and Tobi were relieved to see Riku scoot into view, unharmed. Jun turned back to him and licked at his face, making the man laugh as he tried to stand up.

Kae smiled. It was the first _real_ laugh she'd heard come from him in a long while.

* * *

" So, what happened?"

Riku winced as he rolled up his right sleeve and sighed, allowing Kae to heal it,

" We were playing. After Jun figured out that it was just me, he wanted to rough-house like he did when he was a puppy. Isn't that right, Jun?"

The wolf whimpered and rested his head on Riku's knee, looking up at the man with apologetic eyes. Riku smiled, rubbing it's soft coat with his free hand,

" Yeah, I know you're sorry."

Tobi made sure to sit as far from it as possible, weary as to what it might do to him,

" So, uh... what kind of wolf is he?"

Riku shrugged,

" He's a mutt, really. His mother was an arctic fox and his father was a timber wolf. He's a folf."

Tobi snorted at that, smiling a little as the animal laid down beside Riku,

" Or a wox."

Kae took in a deep breath, suddenly feeling drained after she'd finished her spell,

" There. It should be all healed up, now."

Riku nodded to her in gratitude,

" Thanks."

The girl nodded back with a yawn, leaning back in the arm chair to the left of the couch. Tobi smiled at her, yawning himself,

" Boy! I'm beat... hey, Riku? Where exactly are we gonna sleep tonight?"

Riku shrugged as he stood and ushered Jun off the couch, heading down the hall to the left,

" Well, I dunno about you two, but I'm taking the couch."

Upon reaching the end of the hall, he opened a small cabinet door and pulled out a few bed sheets, coughing as dust rose from them,

" Why don't you two take the bed?"

Kae snorted at that,

" That's laughable!"

She turned around in her chair as Riku re-entered the room, Jun at his feet,

" You're crazy if you think I'll ever sleep in the same bed with _him_!"

Tobi nodded, folding his arms,

" Yeah, like I'd ever want to be in bed with _her_, anyway!"

" I'm sure you would! Pervert..."

" Gahh! Would you STOP calling me that!?"

Riku shook his head at the pair's antics and sighed, setting up his bed on the couch,

" Suit yourselves. I have to say, though... it is pretty comfortable."

Tobi raised an eyebrow,

" Hold on... how would you know that?"

Riku looked to the boy and shrugged,

" Simple. I used to live here."

The boy nodded,

" Uh huh, but did you live here with _Hikari_?"

" Yeah."

" She was your wife, right?"

" If memory serves..."

" Then wouldn't that mean that you two...."

Riku shrugged, tucking the pastel blue sheets between the couch cushions,

" And your point being?"

Tobi made a sour face, his hair frazzling a bit,

" Eew!! Riku, that's nasty!"

" What!? We were married! There's nothing wrong with that!"

The boy shook his head,

" Yeah, but... I don't want that image in my head while I'm sleeping!"

" Then let Kae sleep on the bed!"

" No way, you two are NOT dragging _me_ into this. I'm sleeping on the floor!"

" You too, Kae? Man, what is wrong with you two?"

" What's wrong with _us_? Riku, you... you did bad things on that bed! And now _you're_ telling _us_ to sleep on it!?"

Riku snorted, shaking his head,

" What? Are you saying that if you were married that you _wouldn't_ make love to your wife?"

Tobi cringed at the sound of that and gulped harshly,

" Riku, stop that. You're grossing me out."

The silver-haired man snorted, shaking his head,

" Oh, stop being such a girl! No offence, Kae."

" None taken.... but I'm not sleeping on it, either."

" Oi... well, if either of you _do_ decided to sleep on the bed, I should worn you. A few of the box springs are broken. I'm sure you know why..."

He simply laughed as both kids let out a collective, '' EEW!!"

* * *

Later that night, Kae and Tobi found themselves lying on the floor to either side of the Riku-tainted bed, both gazing straight up at the ceiling. Tobi couldn't sleep because he couldn't stop picturing Riku with that 'hot girl from Mei's picture' in bed together doing... well... you know! And Kae couldn't sleep because she continued to think about her past,

_' Riku never did tell me what he swore to my father... maybe I should go ask him.'_

Sighing, she sat up and puffed the bangs from her face,

" Tobi?"

" Hmm...?"

"This is stupid. It's just a bed."

" Yeah, but..."

" It's _just_ a bed."

The boy pouted and stood up, seeing that Kae was already setting her pillows down on it,

" What, so you're just gonna sleep on it anyway!?"

The auburn-haired girl shrugged,

" Sure. Why not? It's not like they left any residue on it or anything..."

Tobi cringed, flailing his arms about his head,

" Eew, Kae, eew!"

" Oh, stop! We're all adults here! So, what if Riku had sex with his wife on this bed? It's what married people do..."

" Kae!!"

" What!? I'm just stating the obvious!"

" Well, stop it!! It's gross!!"

The girl folded her arms, shooting him an incredulous stare,

" Then just what _do_ you suppose we do, Tobi? Sleep on the floor and let the roaches crawl all over us? Possibly crawling into our ears and getting stuck so tightly that the only way to remove it is through surger--"

" Fine, fine! I'll sleep on the bed! Just shut up about roaches, please... they're the only thing worse than the thought of Riku.... doing things."

" Then I guess picturing Riku having sex with a roach would be absolute he$# for you, wouldn't it?"

" KAE!!!"

The girl cackled evilly, watching the boy completely spaz out with much amusement.

* * *

Riku lay back on the couch in the dark cottage, his blindfold lying on the sleek, mahogany coffee table before him. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, Hikari's smiling face entering his mind. A string of hated feelings welled within him, causing a hard lump to develop in his throat. He then took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, opening his eyes again only to see darkness. This house... this house held so many memories...

Upon sitting up, he heard her soft giggle and ran a hand through his lengthy, silver hair. Tears welled in his eyes, hot tears that burned him as they streaked down his skin. He had never, and most likely _would_ never, get over her death. She had meant the world to him, she had given him hope when he'd had none...

_' And now she's gone,' _he thought sadly to himself, _'...forever.'_

At this, he raised a hand to cover his exposed eyes, unsure of who exactly he was hiding his tears from. A cold, wet nose bumped his left palm after a few moments and he smiled through his tears, scratching the wolf behind the ears,

" It's okay, Jun... I'm fine."

The healthy, male fox laid down at his feet, making him laugh a little,

" I shoulda known... you're too smart for that."

He closed his eyes and spotted the green silhouette of a book on the coffee table, picking it up for no reason at all, really,

_' The darkness took my sight years ago... why do I even bother looking at it?_

Sighing, he flipped through the huge book's pages anyway and looked down at Jun,

" Is this a photo album, boy?"

The wolf whined in sympathy, nudging at his leg. Riku smiled at that,

" I take that as a 'yes'..."

He flipped through the pages one-by-one, Jun hopping up beside him after about five minutes or so. He heard Jun whine a little and stopped flipping, pointing to one of the book's pages,

" Is this her?"

Jun whined again and rested his head on Riku's leg. For being such a supposed predator, the wolf was pretty tame. Riku smiled and patted the animal's side, smiling sadly,

" I know, boy. I miss her, too..."

Sighing deeply, he set the album back down and picked up his blindfold, tying it on as he headed for the door. Jun whined and padded after him as he stepped out into the chilly night air, keeping an eye on him to make sure nothing happened.

The man simply laughed at this. Jun had always been the most faithful of Roux's babies, but he didn't think the pup would be so protective of him! Riku heard something crunch beneath his feet and smiled,

" Well, what do you know? It snowed."

He then froze upon hearing a giggle echoing through the trees and he called out into the cold,

" Hello? Is anyone there?"

Silence was all that responded to his call, so he stepped further out into the forest, the cool air relaxing him quite a bit.

_" Riku..."_

Riku halted again, his breathing patterns becoming rapid. He knew that voice, recognized it immediately. It was _her_, he was sure of it... it was Hikari. She giggled again and the faint smell of daisies wafted past his nose, indicating that she was nearby,

_" Riku..."_

Quickly, Riku burst after it in a run, his heart thudding rapidly against his chest. Jun sped after him, barely able to keep time with the silver-haired man. Riku paused for a moment, trying to snap himself out his delusions,

_' This is insane! Hikari's been dead for the past 20 years... she can't possibly be--"_

It was then that he saw her golden silhouette dart behind a tree.

" Hikari!!"

He sped after her, hoping to catch her before she left him for the third time in his life. The woman giggled again, her spectral image dancing out onto the plains. Riku chased it desperately, tripping as he staggered out of the forest. He frowned. Not only were the plains completely void of any sign of her, but a heavy rain was drenching the vast space as well,

_' Maybe that's why she called it the Mystic Forest...' _

Her laughter caught his ears again and he tried to speed up, his legs giving out seconds later. He fell face first into a pile of mud, Jun barking loudly as he ran up beside him. Riku stayed still, however, sobbing quietly as a boom of thunder rumbled overhead. He was doing nothing but chasing a ghost. Hikari was gone... and she could never come back.

_" Don't forget..."_

Riku's head shot up at the sound of her voice and he blinked, rain pouring down his muddy face. He wiped the soil away and crawled over to the green silhouette of a cross protruding from the soil. Jun pawed after him, stopping as he came to a halt at her grave. Riku smiled, re-adjusting her tiny headstone as it tried to fall over,

" How could I ever?"

The man's eyes then widened at the sight of something lightly covered in dirt. It was a weapon, one he hadn't seen in a long time. The silhouette blade was that of bat wing and he knew from memory that an eye had been crested into the hilt. His breath caught in his throat,

_' No... it can't be...'_

_--19 years ago--_

_He stood out on the plain, just like he had after her death. It had taken him a year to finally see the world again, but even now things weren't that clear. Everything appeared in coloured silhouettes and the silhouette of a sword... that devil's sword... lay on the ground before him, mocking him. Narrowing his pale jade eyes at it, he raised Hikari's staff into the air and smashed the tip into the blade, a brilliant flash of light filling the area. He would have nothing more to do with the Darkness.. or anything else for that matter. _

_He would focus only on raising the child he found... just as he promised._

_----_

_' I destroyed this thing years ago!!'_

* * *

Kae sighed, sadly, turning back for the bedroom as Riku disappeared from her sight,

_' You really loved her, didn't you?'_

Shaking her head, she opened the door to the bedroom and headed back to bed, making sure that Tobi was over the covers as she got under them.


	74. Chapter SeventyThree

Chapter Seventy-Three

The next morning, Kae awoke to a disturbing sight. She opened her eyes to find that Tobi had rolled over on top of her during the night and drool now threatened to drip onto her chest. Hold on... her chest? She gritted her teeth, screaming at the top of her lungs as she punched him square in the jaw, causing him to fly from the bed,

" PERVERT!!"

He hit the floor with a loud 'OW!' and sprung up, glaring at her angrily,

" What was THAT for!?"

She simply folded her arms and turned her head away,

" You know what you did. Baka...."

Tobi groaned, trudging out of the room in defeat,

" Girls..."

After touring the tiny cabin for a few minutes, Tobi finally managed to track Riku down. The man was just finishing up with his morning shave and was getting ready to apply an evil substance known to all as 'aftershave' as the boy walked up,

" Say, Riku? Why exactly are we headed to this 'Hallow' place, anyway?"

Riku snorted, shaking his head,

" We're heading to _Hollow_ Bastion. Not 'Hallow' Bastion. It's not a church, after all..."

" Well, why are we headed to _Hollow_ Bastion, then? Just because Zero said somebody was waiting there for you?"

Riku turned to the boy with a frown,

" It's not just 'somebody', kid."

" Well, then who is it?"

Riku glared daggers at the mirror through his blindfold, frowning gravely,

" Do you remember that man back at Castle Nemesis?"

Tobi shivered at the mention of that place's name, his dark feelings flooding back to him,

" Yes."

" _He's_ why we're going."

* * *

" But, Riku!"

Tobi shouted as the man exited the cottage and headed for the Gummi Ship, which turned out to be not but 10 feet away from the home,

" If you go after him, you'll be killed! Believe me, I know! I heard all about him back at Castle Nemesis--"

" Kid," Riku stated sternly, turning in Tobi's direction,

" I know more about him than you'll ever know. Do you think I don't know the risks involved in going after him? Why do you think I was so reluctant to tell you about him all those years ago?"

Riku climbed into the cockpit, Tobi shaking his head as he sat down in the pilot's seat,

" But, Riku! I heard this guy could--"

" And I was possessed by _this guy_ for nearly an entire year of my life! You think I don't know what he can do?"

Tobi lowered his head in defeat and sighed, Riku calling down from the ship,

" Go tell Kae that we're leaving in about 10 minutes. The ship needs to warm up first..."

Nodding, reluctantly as he headed back inside. Today would be a very stressful one, indeed.

* * *

Kae sighed as she unbuttoned her nightshirt and let it drop to the floor, reaching over to the bed to grab her coat. She didn't realise that she'd left the door open a crack and it was at this moment that Tobi decided to walk up. He caught a glimpse of her bare back and gasped, pausing to watch her for a moment. There were numerous scratches and claw marks marring and scarring her smooth skin, and his eyes grew wide as he fully realised what he$# she must've faced growing up,

_' I'm so sorry...'_

The girl then pulled on her coat and zipped it up, sitting herself down on the edge of the bed to pull on her boots. Those, too, covered up a manifold of scars and discolourations that lined her legs tracing all the way up to her knees. Any other mark on her skin was so faint that one could hardly see it. She sighed deeply and rested for a moment, taking a look around the bedroom before standing and heading for the door.

Tobi gasped and quickly back pedaled, hoping to escape _The Wrath Of Kae, _as he liked to call it. He tripped, however, gulping as she opened the door and spotted him sprawled out on the floor,

" What are you doing?"

The boy smiled innocently at her, sweat forming on his brow,

" N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"

The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head, marching on past him,

" Weirdo."

Tobi let out a sigh of relief and hopped up off the ground, stepping up after her as she asked,

" Where's Riku?"

" He's in the ship," he began as they exited the house,

" We leave in ten--"

The two glanced up to find that the silver-haired man was no longer in Marijuana's cockpit. In fact, he was no where in sight...

* * *

Riku sighed, kneeling down before Hikari's grave one last time before he had to leave. Jun whimpered at his side and he smiled, patting the wolf on the head,

" You'll watch over her for me?"

Jun howled in response, making the man laugh,

" Thanks, Jun."

* * *

Tobi and Kae waited patiently... well, _Tobi_ patiently and_ Kae _impatiently... for Riku to return to the ship. He did so minutes later and Tobi grinned, folding his arms,

" There you are! For a minute there, I thought you'd left without us..."

Riku grinned in return, climbing up into the ship,

" Now, would I do that?"

Kae rolled her eyes, waiting for the hatch to open as the two shared a laugh,

" Men..."

Finally, the hatch came down and she walked inside, Tobi following soon after,

" C'mon let's go."

_

* * *

_

_/ Remember/_

_/ I will still be here/_

_/ As long as you hold me/_

_/ In your memory/_

Riku groaned and quickly shut the radio off. The song was too depressing to listen to. And it was too fuzzy to hear, anyway, so why bother even tuning in? Tobi gulped harshly, feeling his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He had a bad feeling about this flight. Something told him to prepare for the worst, that this battle could be the end of him or someone he cared about. He shivered at the thought. He never wanted to think of how his life would be if he lost Riku... or Kae for that matter. Why, the very thought tore him apart.

Glancing out the window, he sucked in a nervous breath and let it out slowly, murmuring a prayer to the heavens around him,

_' Please... please let this go smoothly...'_

Kae, on the other hand, was quite calm about the situation. She knew that this battle would be risky, but she was willing to risk everything she had to win. And she'd dealt with death and loneliness before, so how would it be any different if one of her comrades was to fall?

_' I know it's cold... but I can't help how I feel.'_

She then glanced over at Tobi and frowned slightly,

_' But... would I be able to live if he...?'_

Riku closed his eyes and sighed, his heart also racing with anxiety. What if this battle was to be his last? Or Kae's last? Or...

_' No! You swore to protect him and you're gonna do so. Once we reach Hollow Bastion... you leave him on the ship.'_

* * *

Axel took in a deep breath and sighed. Ansem had told both he and Lakchine that there would be a huge battle arising in the next few days, possibly hours, and that he needed them to be ready to fight. Yazoo was not allowed to partake in the fray, as he had just been recruited to Ansem's cause days ago. He was no where near ready to fight Riku's group. The young man hadn't complained about it, either, but instead had simply walked back to his quarters and shut himself in.

Again, he sighed and turned to his sister. Both were standing in the entrance hall and both were incredibly nervous, Lakchine especially. She'd never fought in a _real_ battle before, so she had no idea how to react in one. Axel placed a hand on her arm and smiled, grabbing the girl's attention easily,

" Hey. You okay?"

The 17-year-old walked right up to him and hastily wrapped her arms around his middle, burying her face in his chest,

" I'm scared, Axel..."

Axel ran a hand through the soft, blonde hair and smiled, embracing her tightly,

" Shhsh... it's okay, 'Chine. I swear, I won't let anything happen to you."

They were both silent for a few minutes until the girl sniffled, a few tears slipping away from her shimmering emerald eyes,

" I love you, Axel."

Axel smiled, lightly kissing his sibling on the head,

" I love you, too, Lakchine."

* * *

Riku took in a deep breath as he pressed a little grey button on the hemp-lined control panel, sighing as the radio clicked in,

**" Who the f$c# is this?"**

The silver-haired man laughed at the sound of Cid's groggy voice and shook his head,

" Santa Claus. Who the he$# do you think this is, Cid?"

He laughed a bit more as Cid swore into the phone at him, a new voice soon coming on the line,

**" Kid? Was'sa matter? What happened--?"**

Riku groaned, clasping a hand to his forehead,

" I don't know, Barret... but I've had this funny feeling in my stomach for the past few days..."

**" Funny feeling? L-like what?"**

" I don't know.... I think.... I think it was.... oh yeah, I had a burrito last night."

**" Why you little....! Nev'a do that again! You made me think you was hurt or somethin'..."**

" Yes, yes, Barret. I'm so _badly_ injured! I think I'm on the brink of _death_! That's why I'm talking to _you_."

**" What--"**

" Hey, it'll make me _go_ faster!"

**" Da$# punk... you never change, do you?"**

" Well, I change my clothes if that's what you mean..."

There was then silence on the line for a few moments and he lowered his head upon hearing Barret sigh,

" What are you thinking about?"

* * *

Barret sighed, shaking his head as he held the phone up to his ear,

" Nothin' much..."

**" As usual..."**

" Kid..."

**" Sorry, sorry... so really. What is it?"**

" Jes'... jes' be careful out there, awright? Don't go gettin' yo'self killed cause you done somethin' careless."

* * *

Riku nodded, smirking as he spoke,

" Yes, because I'm just _so_ careless already..."

There was then silence on the line and Riku shrugged,

" Okay, I may be _a little_ careless, sometimes..."

Silence.

" Okay, maybe a lot--"

" You _do_ understand what I'm tellin' you, right?"

The silver-haired man shrugged, remaining silent for a moment to hear what his friend had to say,

" I'm sayin'... you know... I care about you, kid. I mean, you's like a kid brother to me or somethin'... and I just wanted you to know that... that I..."

* * *

**" Awwww! I love you, too, marshmallow--"**

" Would you stop callin' me that da$# name, already!?"

**" Hey, don't yell at me! Tifa's the one who started it!"**

" What?"

**" Yeah, don't you remember? She told me you were just a--"**

" Stale marshmallow. Hard and crunchy on the outside, but soft and gooey on the inside. I remember. Man... that girl was somethin' else."

* * *

They were silent again and Riku sighed, smiling slightly as he readied to say good-bye,

" I swear... by the groundwork of our brotherhood... I'll come back alive."

He then heard the man snort on the other end and frowned,

" What? What's so funny?"

**" You got that out a book, didn't you?"**

"....... Yeah."

They both shared a laugh and Riku sighed, looking out to the stars,

" I mean it, though."

**" I know you do, kid.... can I have that in writing?"**

" Oh, shut up you!"

* * *

They landed at Hollow Bastion nearly 3 days later and Riku parked the Gummi Ship at the very end of the walkway leading to the mansion. They piled out, each with heavy thoughts on his or her mind. Tobi then took in a deep breath and nodded,

" Alrighty, then. Let's get goin', huh?"

He started toward the castle, yelping softly as Riku grabbed hold of his tail,

" Hold it, kid. Not so fast. Come on back here for a minute."

The boy turned and raised an eyebrow at the man in confusion,

" Why? We're supposed to go on in, right? Well, let's go if we're gonna go--"

" That's what I need to talk to you about."

He stepped up to the boy and put both hands on his shoulders. He would've been glaring Tobi straight in the eye if his blindfold hadn't been masking his,

" I can't let you go in there, kid. I don't want you near that mess. You're staying here."

The boy frowned, shaking his head,

" What?"

Riku sighed, releasing Tobi as he stepped toward the mansion,

" You're staying here. You're not strong enough to--"

" 'Not strong enough'!? Riku, what the he$# are you talking about!? I fought alongside you back in the Heart of Darkness! I _killed_ Jack, G#d Da$$#t! And you expect me to believe that I'm not strong enough for this dinky little mission--"

" This isn't a 'dinky little mission', Tobi," Riku turned back to him, speaking in stern tones,

" This is a _deadly_ mission. You killed Jack, yes, I know, but Jack was one of the weaker Nobody. Remember back in Castle Nemesis? You couldn't even defeat me--"

" That's because I didn't _want_ to, Riku!"

Tobi protested, his voice cracking in desperation,

" If you need me to prove to you that I'm strong enough, then let me go, too! I'll show you--"

" No. No, you're not going in there."

" But, Riku--"

" I said, _' No'_, Tobi."

Riku raised his voice to a commanding, parental tone and the boy cringed, lowering his head. The silver-haired man then turned to Kae and motioned for her to follow, turning back to the azure-skinned adolescent before him,

" Well be back."

Tobi smirked as the man began walking away and shook his head, calling out to him,

" What! Do you think I'm not _man_ enough for this mission?"

Riku stopped in his tracks as the boy continued,

" Because I'm as much of a man as you are, Riku..."

The silver-haired man turned around slowly,

" You're no more of a man than a dog is a lion."

" I AM a man!!"

" Then prove it, Tobi!"

The boy pouted at him, tears of anger welling in his eyes. This made Riku snort,

" See? I told you. You're no man. You're just a little boy who isn't getting his way, so you're going to cry and pout about it until you _get_ what you want. Well, it won't work on me, kid. Men don't cry and they sure as he$# don't pout and whine about everything like you are right now. A man knows when to back down, Tobi. You're no man. You're just a boy."

Riku then sharply turned on his heel and began his pace back for the castle, Tobi clenching his fists tightly at his sides. He'd completely had it with the man,

" I HATE YOU, RIKU!!"

The silver-haired man simply shrugged, calmly calling back,

" Fine with me..."

Kae glanced back and forth between them, hesitantly starting toward the castle.

Tobi ran a hand through his hair, quickly grabbing hold of Kae's wrist as she headed past,

" Kae, wait!"

The girl turned slowly, raising an eyebrow at him in question,

" What?"

The boy gulped, looking her sternly in the eyes,

" Why do you want those Rings? What do they mean to you?"

**/ Remember/**

**/ When your dreams have ended/**

" Why does it matter, Tobi?"

" Just tell me! Please..."

The girl looked him straight in the eye, her voice strong and determined,

" If you had the chance to go back and set right all the wrongs in your life.... wouldn't _you_ risk everything you had to do it?"

Tobi frowned shaking his head,

" I... I don't understand--"

" If we get a hold of Ansem's rings and find the last one, then the Keyblade will form. The Keyblade belonged to my father, but since he's dead, I'm almost positive that time will be reversed. You _do_ know what that means, don't you Tobi?"

/**Time can be transcended/**

**/ Just remember me/**

The boy shook his head, his earring glinting in the sunlight,

" But what if things don't workout the way you plan, Kae!? What if it all goes wrong!? We might never even be born--"

The girl pulled away from him, keeping her confident gaze set on his piercing gold eyes,

" That's a chance I'm willing to take."

Tobi's eyes widened as she turned and walked away, his calls to her easily being ignored,

" Kae!"

* * *

A set of golden eyes watched in amusement as they left the boy by their ship and he laughed, smirking to himself,

" Yes, Riku... follow your ignorant heart. In the end, it will ultimately lead to your downfall..."

He then turned and headed for the Secret Room, prepared to fight the silver-haired fool under the watchful eyes of the Virgin Mary...

* * *

Riku and Kae entered the castle within a few minutes and Riku stepped closer to the girl,

" You head down that way and go through the Library. The Heartless will be less of a bother for you. Be prepared to run into Axel or Lakchine. They'll want to keep you as far from the Rings as possible..."

Kae nodded, looking to him with gleaming sapphire eyes,

" And Ansem?"

/**I am that one star that keeps burning/**

**/ So brightly/**

Riku clenched his fists, walking toward the staircase at his right,

" Leave Ansem to me."

**/It is the last light/**

**/ To fade into the rising sun/**

Tobi kicked at the rubber landing wheels of Marijuana and scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets,

_' " You're no man. You're just a boy..."'_

Turning toward the castle, Tobi straightened in determination and smirked in defiance,

" I'll show you I'm a man, _Riku_. Just you wait and see. I'll stop Ansem before you even get a glimpse of him..."

The boy then ran full speed for the entrance; no sign of turning back.

* * *

Lakchine nervously paced the floor of the Castle Chapel, biting her lip as she walked,

_' I hope Axel's okay... what have I gotten myself into...? I don't want to fight! I never have and probably never will! I wish someone would tell me why I have to partake in all this...'_

**

* * *

**

**/I'm with you/**

**/ Whenever you tell my story/**

Axel sighed deeply as he glanced about the Grand Hall. The huge, heart monument behind him had been sealed years ago by the Keybearer, so it no longer shone with the vibrant colour it had before. The capsules that once contained the Princesses of Heart were now filled with a glowing green substance called 'Mako' and the bodies of men who had either died or wished to be stronger lay encased in the strange goo.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes,

_' " Please, sir! You gotta do something!"_

_--14 years ago--_

_A younger version of himself cried, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. The yellow-eyed man who he knew had driven his mother insane looked down at him with a scowl,_

_" What's wrong?"_

_Sniffling, the tiny red-head wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his white, long sleeve sweater,_

_" It's my sister! She's real sick, sir. Please, you gotta help her!"_

_" Take me to her."_

_- Lucrecia's room-_

_He led the man over to his mother's old bed, where a three-year-old Lakchine lie. The tiny girl was struggling to stay alive, her fever well over 103. She was wheezing with every breath she took and her skin was beaded with sweat._

_" If nothing is done, the child will die."_

_He looked up at the man with a gasp, but the man offered him a comforting smile,_

_" Do not be concerned. I'll be sure to help your sister.... on one condition."_

_The boy nodded eagerly, taking in a few panicky breaths,_

_" What?"_

_----_

_' " The lives of both you and your sister shall remain in my control... from here into forever."'_

Axel lowered his head with a curse, shaking his head,

_' Lakchine deserves better than all this... I have to find a way to get her out.'_

**

* * *

**

**/For I/**

**/Am all I've done/**

Riku slashed through another legion of Heartless, taking a few lift stops to the upper floors of the castle. He would not rest until he found Ansem... and then he'd kill him.

/**Remember/**

**/I will still be here/**

Little did he know, a boy about two floors below him had a different idea.

* * *

Tobi smirked as another Heartless fell under his claws, feeling triumphant as it cried out in agony and dissipated,

_' I'll show him. Riku will be sorry he ever doubted me! I'll show him how much of a man I really am...'_

Another Neo Shadow appeared on the scene and attacked him, swiping at him with it's black-taloned appendages. It managed to swipe his arm and he cursed, jumping back a bit to strike it with his tail.

At this, however, the creature let out a shriek and darted away, dissipating through a nearby wall. Tobi raised an eyebrow at this,

_' I didn't think Heartless could do that...'_

He thought about just dismissing the phenomenon and started to walk away, but something about the wall trick just didn't seem right to him.

So cautiously, he slowly made his way to the glittering wall of perfect stone and stretched out a hand. To anyone else who might've been there, he'd have looked like a freak, but no one else was around... were they?

" Are you trying to get through?"

Tobi spun on his heel, raising his eyebrow at the figure behind him,

" Hey... aren't you--?"

" Aren't I who?"

Standing there was a young girl about the age of five. She had chin-length, ebony hair and sapphire eyes, and was wearing a sleeveless, black trench coat that zipped up from her waist to the base of her chin. A pair of black cat ears was set firmly on her head and she would've looked relatively normal... had there not been a tail swishing behind her in the same colour as her peachy skin.

The boy shook his head and sighed, beginning to walk away from the wall,

" Nevermind... I'll just be going."

The little cat girl seemed to panic and she quickly ran after him, dragging him back to the wall,

" No, come this way!"

Tobi raised an eyebrow as she paused in front of the wall and with a giggle, ran up to it,

" See? Like this!"

He was then dragged forward by her tiny hand and he flinched, shutting his eyes as he was about to slam into solid stone. The hit never came.

Upon opening his eyes, the boy became confused. He now stood in a long, dark hallway that lead to a huge set of double doors. Along the marble flooring, a black rug was laid out, and several banners featuring the Heartless symbol hung from the ceiling nearly 50 feet above him. He frowned, a slight hint of fear lacing his voice,

" H-Hey? Where are we? Kid?"

Glancing around in all directions, the azure-skinned boy suddenly became confused. She was gone; the child was nowhere in sight. Tobi gulped at the thought of being alone in the cold corridor, a strong urge to head for the ship entering his mind.

_' " You're no more of a man than a dog is a lion."'_

At this, the boy, again, became determined,

_' No way! I CAN'T go back, now. If I do, I'll never be a man in Riku's eyes... I have to do this.'_

He then began a long march down the hall...

* * *

Kae frowned, glancing around the dark Library for a sign of any enemies to be faced. She spotted that a young boy with jet black hair and an odd-looking, muddy red outfit was inspecting something in the corner and she tensed, placing both hands on her pistols.

" Hmm?"

Calmly, he turned to her and blinked, a pair of blood red eyes gazing up at her,

" Did I do something wrong?"

Kae eased up a little, shaking her head,

" N-no... I guess not."

The boy offered her a smile,

" That's good. The way you were looking at me, I thought you were here to punish me or something..."

He then turned back to the book he was looking atand Kae started up the stairs to the second floor. She stopped, however, confused at why exactly she found an interest in the boy,

" Why..."

He looked up at her with an look of innocence on his face,

" Yes?"

Taking in a deep breath, she sighed and started slowly back down the stairs,

" Why exactly are you here? Are you a prisoner?"

The boy blinked, laughing politely,

" Oh no! I work here."

Kae tensed again, until the boy spoke,

" Well... at least... I hope, too."

This made her frown,

" Why!? Why the he$# would you want to work for a man like Ansem!?"

He blinked, tilting his head in confusion,

" Oh, you don't?"

" No! Of course not!"

The boy then frowned, shutting the book with a snap,

" Oh. I see, then..."

Kae tightened her grip on her pistols, readying herself for a fight with the black-haired boy. He then surprised her,

" Usually, we're supposed to battle with any enemies we come across... but how about you just keep going and I'll pretend I never saw you?"

The girl's jaw dropped as he resumed his book search and she growled,

" Are you mocking me or something!?"

He shook his head and for the first time, she saw the lengthy braid that he wore in his hair,

" Not at all, ma'am. I just don't wanna fight you."

He then fell silent. After a few moments, Kae became fed up with him and she growled, marching back up the steps. She paused at the top again, turning on her heel,

" Hey, boy? What's your name?"

The boy looked up at her and offered a kind smile, his pointed, elf-like ears cutting through the ebony hair dispersed around it,

" Chrno."

* * *

Riku cursed as he reached the High Tower, leaping to the side just in time to escape a Wyvern with it's beak aimed for his head,

" $#it!"

It screeched and came around again, crying out in pain as the tip of his staff became lodged in it's stomach. He then whirled around and flung the dying Heartless into a nearby wall, slightly amused as it cried out with a squeak as it dissipated.

_' I shouldn't be finding that funny...'_

" No, I don't think you should."

Riku tensed and spun around, raising an eyebrow when he found nothing. Upon turning back, however, his special sight caught the red silhouette of Axel. He cursed and crouched low, preparing to fight him right there. Axel simply laughed,

" You're laughable, you know that? Do you actually think I'd be stupid enough to fight you on this ledge?"

He then turned and ripped open the air in front of him, glancing back at the silver-haired man,

" Follow me... that is, if you want to reach Ansem."

Riku nodded, following the boy without delay. He did not see nor hear the voice of the softly glowing, ebony-haired woman behind him,

_" Riku..."_

The young woman shattered into millions of golden particles as the portal closed behind her silvery-haired knight.

**/As long as you hold me/**

**/In your memory/**

* * *

Kae growled as she rounded another corner laced with Heartless, firing off each bullet with such precision that she did not need another shot. She was glad to finally reach a room, no longer subjected to those mindless creatures. Indeed, she was no longer subjected to the Heartless, by as she glanced about the ominous room, she noted that she was now subjected to a young girl with short blonde hair.

The girl was cloaked, like the other Unknowns, but the aura about her told Kae that she had no desire to fight. She tensed as the blonde turned in her direction, her bright emerald eyes shining brightly in the dim lit chapel,

" You must be Kae."

Kae brought her pistols up at eye level,

" And you must be Lakchine."

The blonde nodded, sighing deeply as she pulled out her tiny weapons. Kae instantly knew them as kunai blades. To describe them best, they were miniature daggers that were especially made for throwing. Aki had used them once on a Heartless that had tried to attack her. Lakchine's kunai were coloured yellow and blue and their were eight in all, whereas his had been a metallic black and he'd only had three.

Lakchine sighed, stepping toward Kae with a nervous look about her,

" Well.... let's get this over with."

**/Remember me/**

**

* * *

**

**/ I am the one voice/**

**/ In the cold wind, that whispers/**

Tobi gulped as he reached the doorway, glancing back down the hall. It had been about a 3 minute walk, mainly because he'd been so nervous, but also since the hall had been a _long_ one. He reached up slowly to push through the doors, gasping as they creaked open by themselves,

_' Well, that can't be good...'_

Slowly, he walked inside, his tail swishing nervously behind him as he made his way to the centre of the room.

**

* * *

**

**/And if you listen/**

**/You'll hear me call across the sky/**

Riku glared grimly at Axel, paying no mind to the voice in the back of his head. It was screaming; screaming for him to go elsewhere, but he chose to ignore it. Axel raised his circular blades and Riku gasped, straightening a bit as Axel began to smirk,

" You... it was _you_ who was in the Waterway with Darien all that time ago!"

The young man shrugged, his fiery hair swaying a bit in the unseen breeze of the Grand Hall.

Riku didn't like this place. Why the man had chosen here of all places, he would never know. He only knew that he didn't like it here... and he wanted out of there as soon as possible. Axel grinned upon noticing the man's weariness and he held his arms out to both sides,

" Ready?"

Riku nodded, crouching into a defensive stance,

" Ready."

The younger of the two fighters smirked and in a flash, he disappeared into thin air. Riku immediately spun around at this, finally learning from the many mistakes he had made before that they would appear behind him... and he wound up with the tip of Axel's blade in his left shoulder.

He grunted and pulled away from the man, turning to face him with a scowl. Axel snorted, twitching his eyebrow at the 40-year-old,

" Gotta keep up, Pops..."

The man then charged him, twirling both wheels in a circle as he spun around himself. Riku quickly leapt away from the boy, cursing as a tear appeared in his cloak,

_' He's hurling magic at me... as well as hoping I get caught in the blade's path. Whoa!'_

A huge burst of fire then erupted from Axel's body, the young man beginning to laugh wildly,

" What? Too hot for you, _old man_?"

Riku had managed to leap away at the last second and he glared at Axel fiercely,

" Don't call me OLD!!"

Another fire blast shot at Riku and he twirled his staff between his fingers, smirking as it was easily repelled. It fired back at Axel and the man let out a yelp, his arm now singed.

He ceased his spinning and turned to Riku with a smug look on his face,

" Touché, _Grandpa_. I must say, you're quite a feisty man for being so _senile_..."

Riku gritted his teeth and charged at the boy, twirling his staff to slam the younger in the neck. Axel closed his eyes, smirking as he thought to himself,

_' Dodge this...'_

A torrent of winds suddenly picked up around him; winds so strong that they were able to knock Riku off his feet. The silver-haired man slammed into the railing of the platform and cursed, a few winds picking up around him,

_' Oh, so you wanna play that way, huh? Well, I'll show you...'_

_' "Don't go gettin' yo'self killed cause you done somethin' careless..."'_

Riku's eyes widened behind his blindfold and he immediately stopped powering up,

_' Barret...'_

He stood and charged again, twirling his staff before him to counter the winds created by Axel. The younger fighter was amazed by this and he smiled,

" So! You really are well-crafted in your ways! I suppose you would be, though... since you've had _years_ to practice..."

Their blades soon clashed and the winds abruptly came to a halt, Axel cursing as Riku's staff began to break through his 'Twins'.

The metal scraped along each other, causing sparks to fly all around them and Riku cursed, pushing forward with all of his might. He forced Axel into an ancient computer mechanism stationed around the high pedestal they fought on. Riku's staff was about to break through Axel's blades when he heard a familiar voice call out to him,

_" Riku, stop! You don't know what you're doing!"_

**/As long as/**

**/ I still can reach out and touch you/**

Immediately, the silver-haired man spun around to see a 14-year-old silhouette of Sora running straight towards him, Keyblade raised to defend himself. Without thinking, Riku shook his head and began to shout at the image,

" No! Sora, run away!"

The boy kept right on coming, however, and Riku grunted as he felt Axel's blade slash across his back. Sora surged forward, passing through Riku and slashing at Axel in turn. The boy passed straight through him and dissipated...

* * *

The sound of bullets echoed throughout the chapel, Lakchine wincing with each one she heard. She could dodge the bullets easy enough, but she honestly didn't know how much more fighting she could endure. She didn't like to fight. It wasn't really in her nature. She hurled another kunai blade at Kae, despite her pacifistic feelings, and cursed lowly as it hit it's mark.

Kae let out a yelp as the tiny weapon embedded itself in her thigh and she quickly pulled it out, tossing it to the side.

For a moment, the girl was forced to limp until she regained her bearings. She then cast a heal spell on herself and sighed in relief as the pain washed away. It may have been a semi-weak spell, but it did the trick. The auburn-haired girl then raised her pistol in the blonde's direction and fired, smirking as it grazed the girl's arm. Lakchine let out a scream and grabbed that wounded arm, tears welling in her eyes,

_' I don't wanna do this anymore!!'_

In a moment of rushed anger, the girl hurled all of her kunai at Kae, gasping as each one of them missed. Seconds later, their twenty minute battle was over with...

* * *

" So, I see you have come."

Tobi spun on his heel a lightning crashed outside, lighting up the stained window of the Virgin Mary. A man stood beneath it, smirking at him. He had lengthy silver hair and cat-like, yellow eyes very similar his own. The boy gulped and positioned himself in a defensive crouch, scowling at the man,

" You...you're Ansem, aren't you?"

A brilliant flash of lightning lit up the entire room and Tobi could see the man clearly. Sure enough, it was the man he'd seen Riku respond to back at Castle Nemesis. Ansem grinned, stepping forward slowly,

" Are you alone?"

Tobi nodded shortly, refusing to speak to such a wicked man (actually, it was because his voice would no longer work due to his fear of Ansem, but that wasn't the point...).

Ansem chuckled as he circled around the boy,

" What do you hope to accomplish here, boy? You are not strong, nor do you know any form of magic... I suggest you turn back now, while you still have the legs to walk home with..."

" Never," Tobi managed, clenching his fists tightly. He wasn't going to let this 'Ansem' person intimidate him.

The silver-haired man nodded, his tanned skin glowing in the torch lit room,

" Persistent. How wonderful. I see he's raised an excellent fool to follow in his footsteps..."

Tobi growled, otherwise remaining silent. Ansem nodded, noting the fear hidden in the boy's golden eyes,

" Very well. If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you shall have."

A strange, spear-like weapon appeared in the man's grasp, Tobi gasping at the sight of it,

_' That's a halberd! $#it, I'm in for it now...'_

Ansem smirked as he began to twirl the spear between his fingers and he swung his arm around, causing a slight breeze to fill the room. Tobi gulped as it came to a stop before him and the man lowered his hands, allowing it to float in the air,

" Ready?"

Ansem then shot both hands forward against the lance, a huge, white ball of electricity shooting out at the boy. Tobi gasped, finding himself unable to move out of the way as it sped straight for him...

* * *

Axel's eyes widened at the sound of a scream and a lump developed in his throat,

" Lakchine!"

Riku grunted and glanced over at the young man, who seemed more frantic now than he'd ever seen. The fiery-haired Unknown then slashed a portal into the air before him and disappeared through it, automatically proclaiming Riku the victor of their duel.

Riku glanced around for a moment to make sure that Axel's disappearance wasn't a trick, then hurried back for the door and away from the Grand Hall forever.

* * *

Lakchine grunted as she hit the floor, curling up into a ball as one of Kae's bullets lodged in her middle. Kae aimed her pistol for the girl to fire a second one, causing the 17-year-old quite a scare. She was about to fire just as a voice came from behind her,

" DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!!"

Kae then screamed as she was violently slashed on her right arm and her pistol clattered to the floor, Axel rushing past her in a panic.

He knelt down beside Lakchine and lifted her a little, cradling her in his arms,

" Lakchine!"

The young girl's blood was leaking all over everything and she choked a sob, a bit of blood dripping from her lips,

" A...Ax..el?"

The red haired man shushed her and smiled slightly,

" Hush, 'Chine... I'm here, now. Everything's gonna be all right, I swear."

The girl smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks,

" I...I l-lo...I love you...Axel."

The girl's eyes then slowly drooped shut and she breathed out, causing Axel's panic to turn into pure fear,

" L-Lakchine?"

When she didn't respond, he turned to Kae in anger,

" How could you? She's only a child!!"

Kae's eyes were wide with shock at the Nobody's tears and a heavy feeling of guilt fell upon her. Axel began to rock the girl back and forth, speaking to her softly,

" It'll be okay...it'll all be okay, soon, 'Chine."

The man closed his eyes, hot tears splattering on her paling skin. As he opened them, however, he was surprised to see that Lakchine's murderer was also kneeling by her side,

" What're you--?"

" She isn't dead," Kae began, taking the girl's wrist in her hand,

" Her breathing is very shallow, but she isn't dead."

Kae then reached over and placed a hand on the girl's wound, agitated as Axel slapped her hand away,

" Don't you touch her! Not after what you did to her!"

" Look, I'm trying to help you, okay!! Now, do you want your sister to live or not!?"

Axel scowled at her, easing up a little,

" Fine. Just do what you have to... nothing else!"

Kae nodded, placing both hands on the girl's mid-section. Her hands began to softly glow green and she poured her magic into the wound. Within a few minutes, it was completely healed. Axel breathed a sigh of relief, but tensed when his sister's eyes did not open,

" Lakchine? Lakchine! Why isn't she waking up!? What did you do!?"

He then stood without letting her answer, Lakchine cradled carefully in his arms as he formed a portal and stepped through it. Kae snorted, folding her arms as she stood,

" Well, isn't that rude?"

" Kae!"

The auburn-haired girl glanced over to see Riku rush in from a secret, side entrance or something. She seemed confused by it,

" Have you been throughhere--?"

" No," he started, wincing at the pain in his back and shoulder,

" There's another entrance. By any chance did you see Axel come through here?"

The girl nodded, motioning toward the door,

" Yeah, he just took Lakchine and left. I don't know where he's gone."

" Da$$#t!"

Kae frowned, raising an eyebrow at him incredulously,

" Why? What's wrong?"

Riku started for the door, making sure to keep his left shoulder relaxed as he walked,

" Nothing. It's just... he was my only way to find Ansem..."

It was then that the two heard a pain-racked cry echo throughout the halls of Hollow Bastion.

* * *

Tobi found himself lying on the ground seconds later, completely stunned. His skin burned, his blood burned... everything in his body felt burned. His clothes were now tattered and bloodied, and he felt as if he'd gone numb from the waist down,

_' God, don't tell me I'm paralysed... please don't tell me I'm paralysed...'_

He was relieved at the feeling of his right foot going into a spasm, despite the fact that it hurt like he$#.

The boy cursed at the sound of Ansem's footsteps and he grunted, barely able to move himself enough to look up at the man. Ansem reached down and grabbed the boy by his neck, pulling him up to eye level. Tobi coughed, blood splattering lightly on his opponent's face. The man glanced down at his cheek, now seeming to be slightly annoyed. He then glared into the boy's eyes, finding a hint of amusement in seeing fear there,

" Why... it would seem to me that we have the same blood... wouldn't you agree, _Tobi_?"

He cackled, slamming the boy down onto the conference table nearby. It split in half, shoving splinters deep into the boy's back. Tobi bit back another cry as the man repeatedly made a rag doll of him, tossing him here and there until he felt that nearly his entire body was shattered into itty bitty pieces. Ansem finally hurled the boy to the floor, his amusement with the child no longer evident,

" Now, to rid you of your misery..."

He again called upon his lance and began to power up his ferocious Thundaga Ball, the boy now unable to move. Tobi grunted, tears unwillingly streaming down his cheeks,

_' Riku was right... he was right all along. I AM just a child.... a pathetic, whiney child! And now because of my ignorance... now I'm... now I'm....'_

" Say good-bye!"

The flash of the beam lit him up perfectly and his eyes widened. Death was speedily making it's way to him and it would be upon him soon, so he closed his eyes tightly,

_' Riku, I'm so sorry!'_

" NO!!"

Tobi's eyes shot opened as a shadow soon cast itself over him and he gasped.

A figure was now standing in front of him, insanely twirling his staff to repel the blast. He grunted, the strength of the ball inching him back a little. The winds from the spinning rod caused Tobi's hair to flutter and the boy blinked in surprise, astonished to see just exactly who had saved him,

" R-Riku?"

Riku grunted again, twirling the staff faster,

" I thought....I told you to stay....at the ship..."

A strong feeling of guilt immediately washed over the boy and he opened his mouth to reply, but his silver-haired mentor interrupted him,

" Kae!"

He inched back a bit more, cursing as the ball became harder to control. Kae knew exactly what he meant and she hurried to Tobi's side, glancing up at Riku for a moment before lifting the boy's arm over her shoulder to drag him away. Tobi let out a painful cry and she quickly got him to safety, screaming seconds later as the blast sent Riku flying backwards.

The man grunted as he hit the wall, continuing to twirl the staff faster and faster as the energy forced itself closer. He felt his body beginning to tremble from the tremendous exertion of energy he'd been putting out and he cursed, thinking grimly to himself,

_' I can't delay this any longer... I'm sorry, Barret. I tried...'_

A brilliant flash of green exploded around him and he halted his staff, letting the energy collide with him head on. Tobi cursed, spitting blood onto the cracking, marble floors as his friend was caught in the explosion made by the Thundaga Ball,

" RIKU!!!"

Kae knelt down in front of Tobi as he pushed himself up into a kneeling position and she placed both hands on his chest.

He paid her no heed and within the next few minutes was surprised to find that he felt no more pain. Glancing over at her for a second, he noticed that the girl was completely out of breath and her hands were glowing a bright green in colour. Tobi pried her hands away and forced her to stop, shaking his head,

" Kae, don't!"

Still holding onto her wrists, he glanced to his left as the smoke began to clear. His heart began racing a mile a minute as the dust settled and he let out a cry of relief as Riku stood there triumphantly. The man had been completely protected by the glowing...green...barrier... around him. Tobi's eyes widened at the sight of Riku's face. The blindfold had fluttered away in the explosion and he now saw that Riku's eyes were a golden in colour... much like Ansem's.

Tobi gaped in shock as Riku calmly stepped up to Ansem, the silver-haired one shooting the golden-eyed man a deadly glare,

" Ansem."

Even Riku's voice was now frightening. Any happiness that once saturated it had been completely obliterated... only to be replaced by hatred and evil. It was a cold voice that chilled Tobi to the bone.

Ansem grinned at the man, his eyes gleaming as lightning flickered outside,

" So... I see you have finally given in. The darkness has wooed you once again... it is time for you to--"

" The only thing that I plan on doing with my time, _Ansem_, is making sure that you come to a very _violent_ end."

Tobi gasped as he dropped his staff to the floor and held out his hand, a new weapon appearing in it's grasp. It was a fierce some-looking blade; one shaped like a bat's wing and coloured in crimson and violet.

A single, solitary eye was crested on it's handle and Tobi watched in horror as Riku swung the blade with much satisfaction. It almost looked as if he'd missed the vile thing. The once, jade-eyed man looked to Ansem with a sadistic smirk on his face,

" So... are you ready to die?"

**/Remember/**

Tobi took in a deep breath, shaking his head as both men lowered into fighting positions,

_' Riku.... don't.... you can't...'_

Kae gasped at the sight, feeling comforted by the fact that Tobi still had a firm hold on her wrists. She would never admit to it, but she was scared beyond all reason at what would take place in the next few moments. And she now knew exactly why...

--_14 years ago--_

_Her eyes widened, her pupils becoming smaller as he fell limp, the creature ripping out his heart. She could hear her mother's endless screams and cries from the corner, calling out to him as she tried to push through her assailants,_

_" SORA!! SORA, NO!!!"_

_All noise came to an abrupt halt as soon as she heard a slit from that direction, a low grunt escaping her mother's lips. The Heartless backed away rather quickly, jittery with joy and delight. One of them held her father's heart in it's grasp, the object appearing to be made of crystal. It seemed intrigued by it, constantly turning it over and over until it was taken away. Taken by a man wearing black gloves.... he had a black cloak as well. A hood cast dark shadows over his face, a few silvery locks falling from it's depths. The man straightened, sharply turning his head toward the closet. From beneath the hood, she caught a glimpse of glowing golden eyes. They were the same as Ansem's..._

_----_

Tobi's grip on her loosened and she tensed,

_' No... no don't let me go...'_

The boy slowly released both her wrists and edged forward toward Riku,

" R-Riku?"

The man ignored him.

**/I'll never leave you/**

Tobi straightened, stepping forward toward the two with more confidence in his voice,

" Riku?"

He then gasped as Kae grabbed hold of his wrist tightly,

" Tobi, don't!"

He glanced back at her, noticing instantly the fear that was plainly written on her face.

She again, shook her head,

" He's not the same person anymore... don't go out there. You'll only get killed..."

From the expression on her face, he automatically knew what she was comparing this too,

_' Aki.'_

/**If you will only/**

He stepped toward them again, her grip tightening,

" Tobi, please! Don't do this!!"

" Kae, I _have_ to!"

" No, you _don't_! Please, Tobi just stay here!"

" Let go of me, Kae."

" No! I won't let you die!"

" Kae, I said--"

Tobi snapped back to attention as the sound of Riku's battle cry rang throughout the dark chamber. The two men then sped forward at each other and within moments, their weapon collided with a resonating clang.

**/Remember me/**

Tobi's eyes widened as Riku began to glow a bright green in colour and he shook his head, jerking his wrist from Kae's grasp as he barrelled toward the man,

" Riku, don't!"

Kae let out a scream and reached out for him, her 12-year-old conscience forcing her to stay put,

" TOBI!!"

Both adolescents were ignored by the two dark warriors and so they continued to fight, despite the protests made by them.

**/Remember/**

" RIKU, YOU'VE GOTTA STOP RIGHT NOW!!"

Tobi shrieked as he ran forward. Riku, however, could no longer hear him and he fired off a powerful blast of energy at his mortal enemy, his battle cry still raging on. Each impact made upon Ansem caused a terrible backlash of wind that struck Tobi full force. The boy tried to stay balanced, continuing his desperate calls to a deaf Riku,

" Riku, PLEASE!! STOP IT NOW!!"

Riku's cries raged on a Ragnarok took it's course, causing chunks of marble flying up into the air and sail across the room. Ansem grunted with each continual hit, bloody gashes and holes appearing all over his body as each blast hit it's mark. Tobi, finally overcome by the winds created with each hit, flew backward and skidded along the marble floor back to Kae. She shrieked in fear and knelt down beside him, rushing to help him up,

" Are you okay!?"

He nodded, gazing at the horrifying scene in shock. Riku was beyond all hope now... beyond all saving.

**/I will still be here/**

_' " Riku?"'_

_--15 years ago--_

_A miniature version of himself entered Riku's bedroom, sniffling as he walked up to the side of the bed. Riku was fast asleep and right now his voice was so tiny and frail, he was sure Riku would never hear him. Again, he sniffled and tried calling out to him,_

_" Riku?"_

_He was lucky that Tifa had happened to walk past when she did, otherwise he might never have gotten Riku's attention. The chestnut-haired girl pouted, tilting her head as she knelt down before him,_

_" You okay, honey? What's the matter?"_

_Sniffling, he pointed toward Riku,_

_" I had a bad dream."_

_She nodded and stood again, shaking Riku's arm slightly,_

_" Riku? Riku, wake up."_

_The silver-haired man groaned at her and swatted her hand away, making her laugh,_

_" Riku, I'm serious, wake up a minute."_

_Yawning, he opened his eyes and turned over to face her,_

_" What is it?"_

_He whimpered at the sound of his voice. It had sounded so mean. Riku then noticed that he was standing beside Tifa and he immediately changed moods,_

_" Hey, kiddo... what's the matter, huh?"_

_Sniffling, he rubbed at his eyes with a tiny hand,_

_" I had a bad dream."_

_Riku frowned and hoisted the boy up onto the bed,_

_" Oh no... what happened?"_

_This made him burst into tears,_

_" There...were...Heartlooses eve..ry...where and this bad....scary man...came along.... and he.... and he... he took you away from me..."_

_Riku took in a deep breath and sighed, hugging the boy tightly,_

_" Aww, kid. You don't ever have to worry about anyone taking me away from you. I'll make sure to kick their ....butt before they get the chance. I'll always be here for you whenever you need me..."_

_" Promise?"_

_----_

_**/As long as you hold me/**_

_' " Promise."'_

A few tears fell from Tobi's eyes and he shook his head,

" You lied to me, Riku..."

Kae glanced over at him, her confusion rising as well as her fear. He shook his head,

" You said you'd always be there for me whenever I needed you. Well, I need you now, Riku! Where are you!?"

**/In your memory/**

" Where are you, Riku!? I need you NOW!!"

Riku's eyes began to flicker slightly, but he kept the strenuous battle raging. He would never stop... at least not until Ansem was dead. He leapt away from Ansem's halberd seconds before it sliced him into and he snarled, firing a ball of pure black energy in the ageless man's direction. This only made Ansem smile.

**/ Remember/**

Ansem spread his arms out to either side, wholly excepting the blast that was soon to collide with his body. As it struck him dead on, he closed his eyes and let out a fierce some cry, the energy soon fading. Riku cursed, clenching his fists tightly. Ansem wasn't even fazed by the blast. In fact, he'd been strengthened by it.

Tobi clenched his fists and shook his head, realising that his plan to bring Riku back was withering and fast. He let out a cry as Riku barrelled forward at Ansem, their metallic weapons clashing together with a ferocious explosion,

" RIKU, STOP!!"

He was ignored still...

**/When your dreams have ended/**

Ansem managed to clip Riku in jaw and the man staggered backward, cursing as he watched his tan-skinned enemy leap high into the air. The small voice in the back of his head screamed out his name once again, this time on the verge of tears,

_" Riku, don't do this!"_

The blind man quickly leapt out of the way as a hot red ball of flame surged downward in his direction, cursing as the explosion blew him forward into the wall. There was a flash of lightning and Riku spun around, cursing as Ansem disappeared from his sight,

_' Da$$#t!'_

Kae and Tobi both glanced around for any sign of the white-haired menace, but they found none. The man had fled.

**/Time can be transcended/**

Riku snarled, no longer sensing the man's presence in the area,

" Da$$#t!!"

He cursed, throwing his sword down onto the marble floor. Huffing deeply, Riku shook his head and leaned down to scoop up his sword.

Kae felt much relief to know that Ansem had fled. She had been deathly afraid that the something terrible was going to happen all day and she didn't like it. And when Tobi had tried to rush out onto the battlefield to stop them...

_' Well, don't worry now, K. They're safe now... both of them._

It was then that the golden-eyed figure came out from the shadows once again...

**/ I live forever/**

Riku, still bitter from his unfinished battle, scooped up Souleater and dismissed it, running a hand through his silver hair as his now golden eyes glowed,

_' Da$# him... da$# him, da$# him!! Cowardly ba$t#$d..."_

" You may want to rethink that motion."

The 40-year-old jerked awkwardly, soon feeling a searing pain roar through his body.

**/ Remember me/**

Kae let out a scream and clamped both hands over her mouth, fearful tears glinting in her eyes,

" Oh my G#d!! Riku!!"

Tobiturned around, his eyes widening at what he now saw. A hand had firmly been clamped over Riku's mouth and the man's eyes were wide, his body completely stiff. Ansem was smirking behind him, his halberd now dripping with blood has it seared Riku's spine in two...

**/ Remember me/**

_' Riku!!'_

The man's eyes faded back to their normal, milky jade colour and he grunted, blood splattering onto Ansem's hand. He soon began to glow again, but this time, it had a quite different affect on him,

_' The...the...darkness....he's tak..ing it from....me....'_

Immediately, the man began to feel weaker...

**/ Remember......../**

Tobi's mouth hung open, tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing; couldn't grasp it at all.

_' It's not real... it's just a dream... it's not real! It's not...'_

Ansem then grinned and shoved the weapon forward, keeping a firm grip on Riku to make sure he stayed still. At this motion, Riku's mid-section ripped open, spurting blood all over the marble flooring.

The man's eyes widened to twice their size and he grunted, the only thought in his head being a scream of agony... one that was not his own.

**/ Me/**

Tobi shook his head fiercely, tears streaming down his cheeks as he let out a crackled yell,

" NOOO!!!!!!"


	75. Chapter SeventyFour

Chapter Seventy-Four

_' It's not real... it's just a dream... it's not real! It's not...'_

Ansem then grinned and shoved the weapon forward, keeping a firm grip on Riku to make sure he stayed still. At this motion, Riku's mid-section ripped open, spurting blood all over the marble flooring.

The man's eyes widened to twice their size and he grunted, the only thought in his head being a scream of agony...

" NOOO!!!!!!"

Tobi shook his head fiercely, tears streaming down his cheeks as he let out the crackled yell. Ansem smirked as soon as his victim feel limp and retracted his spear, shoving Riku forward.

The man's legs instantly buckled and Tobi made a mad dash to catch him before he hit the blood-waxed floor,

" RIKU!!"

The boy slipped on the crimson liquid as he got closer to the man and immediately pushed himself up, catching Riku seconds later just before he hit marble. Immediately, Tobi turned him over and began to shout in a panicky voice,

" Riku!! Riku, wake up! C'mon!!"

The silver-haired man opened his eyes, barely able to keep them open,

" Kid.....?"

The azure boy nodded shortly, tensing as Riku fell limp,

" Riku!? Riku!!"

Ansem chuckled softly,

" Thank you so much for your cooperation Seeing as how you're no longer eligible to participate in our little race, I believe I'll rightfully take what's mine..."

Tobi gasped as a tiny, silver object floated out of Riku's coat pocket and glanced up to see that it had gone to the yellow-eyed man. He felt his own body begin to shake in fright. Ansem shot him a strange look and turned his back on them, calmly walking away. The azure boy would've gone after him had it not been for the deadly fear rising in his heart. He turned back to Riku and shook the man slightly, begging him to answer,

" Please... Riku, c'mon! Wake up! Please--"

" I' won't do you any good, mate."

Tobi spun around in surprise, his eyes wide at the sight of the man standing there,

_' It...it can't be...'_

Kae gaped at the man in shock, her eyes glistening in fear and confusion,

" Jack!?"

Jack turned to look at her, the bone dangling from his red bandana swinging about his forehead,

" 'Ave we met, luve?"

Tobi shook his head, gripping Riku's shoulder tightly,

" I-I-I... I don't get it! How are you... how can you be...?"

The ex-Captain shrugged, rubbing his neck lightly,

" Jus' am, mate. And tha' lit'le snap-poppy-thingy you pulled on me did a number on that nasty crick in me neck. Have you ever considered..."

Tobi shot the man an incredulous look and raised an eyebrow, remaining silent. Jack then shook his head and waved off whatever he'd been rambling about,

" Righ', righ'... on to more _impo'tant _matters..."

* * *

Ansem grinned as he glanced down at the Ring he'd obtained from his soon to be ex-puppet and chuckled,

" Foolish boy... thought he could actually win the fight against darkness."

He then felt a rush of cold energy surge through him and he shivered, smirking like a madman at his new, stolen powers,

" Excellent... now. To dispose of them once and for all..."

* * *

Axel bit his thumbnail as he gazed down at his sister, many a thought running through his head,

_' Please, Lakchine... don't die on me now. Don't leave me here like mother did....'_

The young blonde lay on his bed, her head resting comfortable on a set of two squishy pillows. Her breathing patterns were struggled, but she seemed to be doing a lot better than she was. Axel frowned, shaking his head,

_' What could be wrong with her?'_

She then began a coughing fit and broke into a small sweat, causing the young man to tense,

_' Her illness.... it's come back!'_

She coughed again and he grabbed hold of her hand, shaking his head,

" Ansem you ba$t#$d..."

* * *

Jack knelt down beside Riku and frowned,

" How long has he be'n like this?"

Tobi shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks,

" I-I dunno! Five, ten minutes maybe..."

The pirate cursed,

" You 'ave to get 'im ou' of 'ere, mate. Ansem is planning on destroying the building."

Tobi's eyes widened and he began to panic,

" What!?"

Kae shook her head and hurried over, grabbing hold of one of Riku's arms,

" Tobi, help me lift him."

The boy snapped out of his shocked trance and nodded, grabbing the other arm. Jack turned and hurried to the doorway,

" C'mon, I'll show you the way ou'!"

* * *

Ansem smirked, setting the small box down in the depths of the dungeons. He poured a bit of dark energy into it and it began to distend, soon growing to the size of a small car. He was satisfied as he left the room, entering a transport bubble with only one thought in his mind,

_' Things are finally going my way...'_

* * *

They rushed through the manor as quickly as possible, doing their best to keep drag Riku down the hall and defend themselves at the same time. Kae had only one of her pistols on hand and Jack was using himself as a pistol...um... yeah. Tobi carried Riku's staff in his freehand, whacking at any Heartless that dared come up to them. He didn't have the time to deal with them right now, he$#, Riku didn't have the time for it!

They had tried to use Riku's discarded blindfold as a tourniquet, but it wasn't doing much good. Blood was still trailing along the floor behind them and Riku was still _bleeding_ at that! Tobi unknowingly sped up upon thinking that,

_' We need to hurry and get out of here... Riku needs help.'_

He then glanced to Kae and frowned,

" Kae!"

She glanced over at him, her sapphire eyes hardened again,

" What?"

" Can you heal him?"

The boy motioned toward Riku, who was desperately trying to stay alive. Kae shrugged, firing off a bullet as a Wyvern flew past her head,

" I'll have to try once we get to the ship!"

Jack stepped to the side and let them go in front of him, making sure they weren't attacked from behind,

" C'mon, c'mon! The exit's jus' up ahead of you! Keep moving, keep moving!"

* * *

They burst through the front doors and spotted the ship, Tobi tripping as Kae rushed over and jumped in the cockpit. Quickly, she opened the hatch for them and gasped, glancing back to find the boy struggling to lift the man. Jack knelt down beside them, grabbing Riku's arm,

" Lemme help--"

" Why?"

The pirate glanced up at the boy with a raised eyebrow,

" Why, what?"

" Why," Tobi began, gazing deeply into the man's mahogany eyes,

" Why are you helping us?"

Jack smiled, the image of a young woman with dark skin and brown hair entering his mind. She had been a pirate as well... until his ship had sunk and she'd mysteriously disappeared. He'd died then in the accident, but had been revived by Ansem. Ansem had given him powers beyond his wildest dreams and had told him that he could use them to find his lost love... on one condition. He was to watch the_ Keybearer _at all times; to make sure that the _young man _wouldn't remember a thing of _his_ past, thus causing _his_ steady descent into darkness...

--_ 1 month ago--_

_He raised an eyebrow upon seeing a young man with spiky, brown hair sitting by himself in the rain, hugging tightly to his knees as the water soaked him to the bone. Cautiously, he stepped over to him and cleared his throat,_

_" Nice weath'a we're having."_

_The man sighed, his blue eyes dulled from the lack of light in his heart,_

_" Sure. Whatever..."_

_Sighing, he sat down beside him and took off his hat,_

_" Look... whatever you're searching for out in this rain, you're not goin'ta find, mate. Believe me, I know THAT one from exper'ence..."_

_" Don't worry," the brunette said as he stood,_

_" I don't have anything to find."_

_----_

Jack sighed, shaking his head at the memory. Sora had been such a nice person. It was a terrible shame that he had been put through all that he$# before he died...

Sighing, Jack looked up at the boy,

" Because, mate... for once, I want to do something that isn't fo' me self."

Tobi's eyes widened and he soon heard Kae shout,

" C'mon!!"

Quickly, the two hoisted Riku off the ground and dragged him to _'Marijuana'_, Tobihastily laying him across the back seat. Kae knelt down to heal Riku while the boy turned to Jack, who was standing just outside the doorway,

" Jack! Let's go, c'mon!"

" My spell isn't working, Tobi. We'll have to try something else..."

Tobi glanced back at her, his eyes wide with fear. He half listened for Jack to respond, horrified when the man finally did,

" I'm afraid I can't, mate..."

Kae and Tobi turned, both gaping at him in shock. This made the pirate smile,

" I've got to go back to someone who's been waiting a long time fo' me..."

He then stepped back and Kae shook her head as she settled down in the pilot's seat, shutting the doors with a sigh. Tobi shook his head, rushing to the window,

" Jack! Jack don't do it!"

The ex-Captain nodded to Kae and she smiled back, mouthing ' Sorry' as she started up the engines. The azure boy glanced over at her and shook his head,

" Kae, stop! We've gotta save Jack--"

" Tobi, don't you get it! He doesn't want us to save him!! He wants to go home! Just like everyone else did..."

They then started for the clouds and Tobi watched sadly as Jack turned back for the castle.

* * *

Jack smiled, feeling the wind take his hair on a wild ride. He had never felt this free before... never felt this relaxed. Maybe it was because he knew he'd be seeing _her_ again, soon... maybe it was knowing he'd be free of Ansem's torture, he didn't know. He soon felt a rumbling under his feet, however, and a smile stretched across his face.

_' " You stole. My. Boat!"'_

The pirate laughed a bit at the memory of the angry girl, even as the castle began to explode. As he opened his eyes, he saw that a huge fireball was sailing right toward him and he took in a deep breath,

" Anamaria..."

The flames hit his skin and he felt a slight burning sensation, then nothing. Everything disappeared into darkness...

* * *

Axel held Lakchine in his arms as he watch the building explode from his spot at the Rising Falls. Ansem stood not far behind and the fiery-haired man scowled, turning to him,

" Her illness... it's back. Care to explain?"

Ansem nodded to him shortly,

" You abandoned your duties and disobeyed me in order to save her. So, I have revoked my magic from her body--"

" But.... but you can't do that!!"

" DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO!"

Ansem shouted back, Axel immediately hushing himself up. A few others behind him, specifically a raven-haired boy in a muddy red outfit, a brunette in a dirty, ragged cloak, and a silver-haired boy with a strange sword on his belt, cringed at the harshness of their new Master's voice.

The yellow-eyed man then calmed, sighing,

" Once you prove to me your loyalty... I'll think about reinstating it. Now, follow me. We've much planning to do..."

The man then cut a portal into the air and stepped through, Axel glancing down at Lakchine before following,

_' I'll save you, sis... I promise.'_

* * *

Tobi's eyes widened as Hollow Bastion erupted into a mushroom of flames, the tiny ship barely escaping the explosion's wrath,

" JACK!!"

Kae lowered her head as they hit space and turned in her seat, looking at him sadly,

" Tobi... how's he doing?"

The grieving boy turned back to Riku. The silver-haired man was breathing heavily and the wound in his abdomen seemed to be endlessly flowing with blood,

" I... I think he's getting worse. Kae, hurry back to the cabin. It 's on the closest world from here--"

" But, Tobi! It'll take two days to--"

" WELL, THEN PUT IT ON WARP DRIVE!! JUST HURRY,_ PLEASE_!!"

She was taken aback by his outburst and shook her head,

" Tobi, don't you know the strain that'll put on Riku--"

" I DON'T _CARE_, KAE!! HE NEEDS HELP AND FAST, AND I'M SORRY, BUT WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO THAT WORLD TO GET IT! NOW, PUT HER IN WARP DRIVE!!"

Nodding shortly, Kae hesitantly hit a tiny red button labelled 'Warp' and felt her body suddenly press against the seat of the ship. At the very least, they'd arrive on the world in about 2 hours...

* * *

Axel laid Lakchine down on her bed in Castle Oblivion, taking in a deep breath as he ran a hand through her hair,

" It'll be okay, Lakchine.... I won't let anything happen to you."

The girl coughed in response, then moaned and turned over on her side. This illness hadn't plagued her in 14 years, so her body was most likely not used to it's return.

She coughed again and he rubbed her arm gently, growling as she muttered one word,

" Tobi..."

Lakchine was then silent. He cursed as he stood, quietly shutting the door behind him as he exited her room.

* * *

They reached Mystic Forest about two hours later and quickly, Tobi pulled Riku out of the ship. An ominous sight met his eyes as he eyed the back seat of _'Marijuana'_. It was drenched and dripping with blood... Kae quickly hopped down from the cockpit and hurried to them, holding the man up on the right as Tobi held him on the left. She took out one of her pistols in case anyone tried to attack them while they made their way to the cottage.

If they had happened to glance behind them, they would've noted the trail of crimson staining the snow-covered ground. Sunlight sparkled down from the trees and Tobi cursed as a flash of yellow blinded him. He didn't really care if it did, however. He had to get Riku to safety.

As they neared the cabin, they spotted Jun diligently pacing back and forth right outside the front door. He growled for a moment, then realised it was only them and bounded over to them happily. The wolf let out a howl and made to pounce Riku, but Tobi immediately scolded him,

" Jun, no! Not now... Riku's hurt."

The wolf sniffed for a moment and smelled the blood trailing from the silver-haired man. His impulses to attack were shut off when he was a pup, though, so instead of killing them all off and devouring them whole, he began to whine and trotted after them into the household.

They immediately rushed Riku to the bedroom and laid him down on the bed, Tobi turning to Kae in a panic,

" What do we do, Kae?"

The girl frowned and cursed, quickly unzipping Riku's cloak. She tugged it off of him, yanking it away from the bed once his arms were free,

" Go see if there's any bandages in the cabinet. Hurry!"

Tobi nodded, glancing back as he reached the door. She was now checking for a pulse. Cursing, he frantically ran to the end of the hall and threw open the cabinet doors, tossing things out of it left and right. Nothing. He found nothing! The boy then ran to the bathroom and threw open the medicine cabinet, a feeling of joy filling him,

" Bingo!"

He rushed back to the bedroom, hurrying to the bed,

" Will this work?"

Kae looked down at the package and then back to him. It was a box of big-sized Band-Aids.

Shaking her head, she hurried over to the dresser,

" Baka..."

The boy frowned at her and clenched his fists,

" What!? It was all I could find!"

She rummaged through the dusty chiffonier, grabbing a ratty pair of white hosiery with a sigh,

" Close enough!"

Rushing back over, she motioned to Tobi,

" Lift him up."

Nodding shortly, he grabbed Riku by the shoulders and raised him off the bed a little, shivering a bit. The man was cold to the touch...

Kae tightly tied the hose around the wound and took in a deep breathing, rubbing her temple slightly,

" That'll have to do for now... make sure to cover him with a blanket or something, he needs the warmth."

Tobi nodded, frowning she left the room,

" Where are you going?"

" I'm going to get gauze. I'll be back in an hour or so."

He then heard the door shut and he sighed, glancing back down at Riku. The man was pale and if Tobi had tried to check his pulse, he'd barely have found it. Sucking in a breath, the boy headed out into the hall and picked up the first blanket he found on the floor. It was a jet black one made of heavy fleece,

_' This should be warm enough...'_

Quietly, he re-entered the room and carefully laid the blanket over Riku's battered body, gulping down a hard lump in his throat,

_' What if...what if he doesn't make it?'_

The boy sighed and pulled a chair out from the desk that was stationed to the right of the bed, sitting down with a sigh,

" Riku... listen to me. You've made it through a h$# of a lot worse than this, so... d$$#, you'd better come out of this one."

The man seemed to reply with a frown and Tobi grabbed hold of his hand, pressing his forehead against it,

" Please, be okay..."

_

* * *

_

_----_

_" What's wrong? Riku, why are you crying?"_

_The silver-haired man sat down beside her with a teary smile, rubbing her arm lightly,_

_" I....I was worried."_

_Hikari smiled back, batting her brilliant emerald eyes at him,_

_" Well, you shouldn't have been! We're just fine."_

_Taking in a deep breath, he sniffled and ran his hand along her cheek,_

_" Hikari... there's something I need to tell you."_

_The innocent girl frowned, raising her eyebrow slightly,_

_" What is it?"_

_He glanced back at the open door and saw that the doctor was still standing in the entrance. The woman nodded and shut the door, leaving the two alone in the dim-lit room. He took in a deep breath and turned back to her, biting his lip,_

_" I...I don't know how to tell you this...."_

_" Well, just say it and I'll tell you if you did it right."_

_Nodding, he gulped down his pain and fear and looked into her eyes, letting out a wavering breath,_

_" The baby's gone... Hikari."_

_She frowned in confusion, no fear in her voice whatsoever,_

_" What do you mean?"_

_He sniffled, taking both of her hands in his,_

_" He's gone, Hikari... our baby's gone."_

_" Why do you keep saying that!? What are you talking about!? He's right here!"_

_She now seemed agitated as she grabbed his hand and placed it on her swelled stomach. This only made him feel worse and he bit back a sob, a gleaming tear rolling down his cheek,_

_" Hikari..."_

_She truly didn't understand his words. The ebony-haired girl blinked at him, pouting in sympathy,_

_" Riku? Riku, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"_

_After a few moments of her worried gaze beaming down on him, he shook his head, his heart shattering as he spoke,_

_" He's dead, Hikari. The baby's dead."_

_Her emerald eyes widened. Now THAT she understood... Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand through her soft hair, wincing as she let out a scream of horror and disbelief,_

_" NO!!!!!"_

_----_

* * *

Kae sighed as she entered Kalm, glancing all around to find a pharmacy or something,

_' Any place that carries gauze is good enough for me!'_

She growled and let out an aggravated scream, gaining a few strange looks from the residents there. The girl simply hissed at them,

" What are you looking at!?"

Sighing deeply, the girl clenched her fists and entered another shop, raising an eyebrow at the man behind the register. He wore a cowboy hat and had his lengthy, light brown hair tied back in a ponytail. The door jingled as it shut behind her and he turned around, startling her,

" Howdy, ma'am. Name's Irvine Kinneas. How can I help you?"

Kae coughed, her eyes wide,

_' He looks just like...'_

" Kinneas? As in... Tidus Kinneas?"

Irvine froze in place,

" How... how do _you_ know my little brother?"

_

* * *

_

_----_

_" So... what will happen to me now?"_

_Hikari murmured in his shoulder. She'd finally calmed down after about an hour or so of straight tears and he sniffled, taking in a deep breath,_

_" You? Oh, you'll...you'll be just fine."_

_The girl whimpered, new tears streaming down her cheeks,_

_" Liar..."_

_He bit his lip and hugged her tightly, refusing to let her go at any cost. A few minutes later, the doctor came in with her clipboard in hand, a look of absolute disbelief on her pale face,_

_" Mr. and Mrs. Shimui?"_

_They both looked to her and he quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. Hikari was the only one allowed to see him cry,_

_" Y-yes?"_

_The curly-haired doctor looked to them, her brown eyes sparkling in excitement,_

_" Would either one of you... happen to know any form of magic whatsoever?"_

_Hikari nodded, glancing up at him as a tear fell from her eye,_

_" Hmm... we both do."_

_He shot a look at her, one saying,_

_' Mine's not magic! What're you talking about?'_

_The doctor nodded with a smile on her face,_

_" I see. So, that's what did it..."_

_He frowned, starting to head over to her,_

_" So, what did--?"_

_He jumped as Hikari grabbed hold of his hand. Glancing down at her, he stepped back a bit to be near her, but didn't sit down,_

_" So, what did what?"_

_The doctor smiled, hugging her clipboard,_

_" We found through further testing that a strange, glassy-looking barrier has been cast around the baby. It would seem that this shield kept him from harm. Now, he may be born with a few birth defects, but other than that, your baby is perfectly healthy."_

_Hikari covered her mouth, squeezing his hand tightly. He felt a slight smile creep to his lips, but he shook his head,_

_" And what about Hikari?"_

_The doctor nodded, scanning through Hikari's medical report,_

_" Well, as it says here. The strange barrier has had some sort of healing effect on your wife's body. She'll pull through just fine."_

_He took in a deep breath and turned back to her with a smile, tears freely flowing down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around her. The curly-haired doctor smiled and quietly left the room, leaving the happy couple to rejoice in private._

_Hikari sniffled, her tears soaking into his shirt,_

_" You saved him, Bigfoot... that magic was yours."_

_----_

Tobi jumped suddenly at the sound of a soft groan and he glanced up at Riku with wide, yellow eyes,

" Riku?"

The silver-haired man winced, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He saw nothing. When he closed his eyes again... nothing. He was completely blind now.

The boy quickly drew closer to the bed, idly hoping that maybe Riku would see him,

" Riku?"

Riku tried to talk, but he grunted instead a sharp pain spiralling to his waist... and stopping,

_' Why.... why can't I... feel anything?'_

" What...what happened--?"

Tobi squeezed Riku's hand lightly as the man winced and shook his head,

" Shhsh... don't try to talk. You've been through a lot... you remember?"

The silver-haired man nodded, closing his eyes lightly to see the image of a man with tan-skin and burning yellow eyes,

_' Ansem... Ansem did this to me...'_

Riku then coughed and sucked in a breath, flinching at the pain,

" Where...where are...we?"

Tobi smiled at him, glancing around the bedroom,

" Back at your cabin."

The sound of that brought a smile to Riku's face and he snorted a bit,

" On my... _tainted bed_, I supp..ose?"

The boy laughed at his friend's comment and shook his head, biting his lip,

" Yeah... on your tainted bed."

A short silence fell over them and Tobi raised an eyebrow, something finally clicking in his head that should have about two months ago,

" Hey, Riku? What happened to Jim?"

The silver-haired man frowned, looking up at Tobi in confusion,

" Who?"

* * *

Jim Hawkins lie back on a flat stone in Neverland, to be specific, the Mermaid Lagoon, where Kali, Alana, and a dozen other mermaids tended to his every little need. He smiled to Morph, who Alana was fanning with a tiny leaf,

" This is the life, isn't it, Morphy?"

The pink blob chirped as it felt the breeze from the leaf and it gurgled happily, falling asleep beside it's master.

Jim laid his head on Kali's lap and smiled as she gently rubbed his temples,

" Yep... this is the life."

* * *

Riku sighed, feeling a strange absence within him. It felt wonderful... like a heavy weight had been removed from his heart, despite the pain he felt in his stomach.

_' The darkness.... it's gone. It's really gone! But then... that would mean that...'_

He gulped, turning his head in the direction of Tobi's breathing,

" Kid?"

" Yeah?"

" I think...I think there's something you should know."

* * *

" How...how do you know my little brother?"

Kae nodded, lowering her head,

" I thought I'd seen you in my uncle's pictures... "

" You're uncle!? I was his only sibling and I don't have any kids!"

" My surrogate uncle, you idiot! You _really_ are Irvine..."

The cowboy glowered at her, folding his arms,

" I resent that... so, who's kid are you, then?"

Kae lowered her head, sighing deeply,

" Sora's."

" Oh, I remember him! He was that runt that used to run around with Riku all the time! I remember once, before my parents split and I moved with my mom to Spira, that Riku, he was about 7 or so, tried this nasty drug called 'Kiyoku' or somethin' like that. Said somebody told him it was candy... He nearly died from it but Sora and his mom got him to the hospital in time and he turned out okay... heard he was in town recently. Never got the chance to say hi, though..."

Kae gasped upon the mention of Riku's name. How quickly she'd forgotten what she'd come to get!

_' Of course I forgot... Irvine mentioned my father... and wait.... Kiyoku? Hold on... why is that so familiar...?'_

_' "Well, back when I was a kid, word was going around of this new drug called 'Kiyoku' that all the kids were using to go on acid trips at raves and parties and that sort of thing..."'_

" After my mom moved me to Spira, I hitched a ride on this strange looking thing called a space ship and found myself here... that's when I entered the chocobo races. I was about ten or eleven years old..."

The auburn-haired girl shook her head, turning from the Irvine's incessant rambling and barrelling out the door,

" Riku..."

" Hey, wait! Where ya going!?"

* * *

Tobi's eyes widened and he shook his head, fear swelling in his heart,

" No... no, no, no. Don't start with that."

Riku grunted, sucking in a deep breath,

" Kid..."

" I SAID, ' DON'T START WITH THAT' OKAY, RIKU!?"

The silver-haired man coughed, a spot of blood splattering on his lip,

" You can't... possibly still think that I'm... going to be okay--"

" Well, you _are_, all right!?"

Tobi shouted, his voice crackling with each passing minute.

Riku sighed, smiling slightly,

" You and I _both_ know.... that that isn't true."

The azure boy's eyes glistened with tears and he bit his lower lip, trying desperately to hold them back as Riku spoke again,

" I won't last much longer....kid..."

* * *

Kae sped through the forest as fast as she could. It had taken her about 20 minutes to cross the plains at a dead run, even with the down pour slowing her down. She had seemed to notice that something had been a bit off about the world... like part of it had been disconnected somewhere along it's timeline. The girl then shook her head and forced herself to run faster,

_' I have to make it back to the cabin... I have to know if he really _did_ live on the island... I have to know what my father said... Riku, you'd better not die before I get there!'_

* * *

Tobi shook his head, a soft whimper lacing his words,

" You... you can't leave me, Riku."

Riku took in a deep breath as the boy continued,

" I'm not leaving you... " He then smirked, lightly nudging the boy in the arm,

" You've still got Kae--"

" No... no, you can't leave me alone with her! You can't!!"

The boy shouted, not even realising that the front door had just let her in. Kae heard the shout and frowned, slowly creeping toward the open bedroom door,

" What? I thought... you said you liked her..."

" BUT SHE _HATES _ME, RIKU!!"

Kae straightened at his sudden outburst, lowering her head in guilt. Tobi let out another cry, making sure to keep the tears in his eyes from falling,

" Ever since we first met! She's _always_ hated me! She thinks I'm a stupid _pervert_! She'd never want me around for more than 2 seconds! You're the only one who understands me, Riku!! If you leave me now... I'll be all alone!! Don't leave me alone, Riku, please! I don't wanna _be_ _alone_!!"

Kae bit her lip, hot tears welling in her eyes. The scars the Heartless had made and Zero's gun blast had hurt... but to hear _Tobi_ say such things about her? Now, THAT burned...

The boy sniffled, desperately wiping the tears from his eyes. He couldn't cry... not in front of Riku after what had happened before...

Tobi jumped upon feeling a cold hand on his and he glanced down at Riku, who was smiling slightly,

" You know..." he said, a few tears gleaming in his pale eyes,

" .... real men... _do_ cry..."

Tobi sniffled, smiling as the man continued,

"...sometimes."

At this, the boy burst into tears and lowered his head, tightly squeezing Riku's hand. The man took in a deep breath and tugged at the boy's collar, weakly pulling him into a strong embrace. Tobi let out a river of tears, each drop sliding down Riku's bare shoulder. The man winced as the warm tears burnt his skin and he squeezed the boy as tightly as he could, his heart feeling as if it were being sliced in two.

" Don't go, Riku.... I need you...."

Riku let out a breath and felt his lip began to shake,

" I'll....always be here if you need me..... I'll be right here... in your heart."

Tobi's sobs increased and the man felt himself begin to slip out of consciousness, a white haze creeping over the dark of his world. He fought it away desperately, trying to hang on for just a little longer.

The silver-haired man gasped as the sudden image of a young woman appeared. She wore a pure white dress and her raven-coloured hair was tied back into a half ponytail, the ends reaching just past her elbow. There was a pure white bangle on her left wrist, a charm bracelet on her right, and a silver chain dangled from her right ankle, the chain accented by a sky-bluish, crystalline star. Riku gasped, his eyes widening in realisation,

_' " Your light will guide you home, Riku. She is waiting to guide you home..."'_

Her ruby lips formed a smile as her deep, emerald eyes shone with love and she giggled softly, holding out a hand to him,

_" It's time."_

A few tears spilled out of Riku's eyes and he clung to the boy a bit tighter, sucking in a deep breath,

" No... no, just a little longer...?"

_' I still have to tell him... I have so much to tell him...'_

_----_

_Hikari had been released from the hospital the night before and they'd spent their last night together lying in each other's arms. Now it was morning... a cold morning at that. She'd just finished packing up her things and now stood at the door, her head lowered as she placed a hand softly on her stomach. The baby moved inside of her and she smiled sadly, a tear streaming down her cheek._

_" Riku?"_

_She turned to face him, smiling with tears welling in her emerald eyes. He raised his head, offering her a sorrowful smile,_

_" Don't worry... just get to your aunt's as fast as you can. I'll be alright."_

_Sniffling, she tucked some hair behind her ear,_

_" Does it... really have to be this way?"_

_He nodded, running a hand through his hair,_

_" You and I both know it does..."_

_Hikari lowered her head, nodding sadly,_

_" But--"_

_Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass filled the air and a dark, cold wind swept through the tiny cottage. He immediately rushed over to her and opened the door, hurrying her out to the woods,_

_" Hurry, c'mon!"_

_They both ran through the numerous amount of trees, her hand clamped on her stomach the entire way. He'd made sure to put his cloak on her so that she would appear to be one of the Nobodys as well. She turned as they reached the final tree and gazed up at him with teary eyes,_

_" I love you, Riku..."_

_The sound of twigs snapping behind them alarmed him and he grunted, pushing her along on her way,_

_" Go, Hikari...."_

_She hesitated, gazing at him as the rain poured down heavily. He turned and clenched his fists as the Heartless bounded toward them,_

_" GO!!"_

_Hikari jumped, quickly turning and speeding off into the distance. Tears fell like the rain droplets around them, splattering softly on the already muddy soil as she headed for her aunt's house in Kalm._

_--2 weeks later--_

_The phone rang in the lonely little cottage and he quickly jumped up, grabbing it with lightning speed. He knew it was her. It had to be,_

_" H-Hello?"_

_**" Hello... Daddy."**_

_His eyes widened and he cracked a smile, tears streaming down his cheeks,_

_" You mean... you mean you...?"_

_Hikari giggled softly, making his heart leap,_

_**" He looks just like you."**_

_" That can't be a compliment..."_

_She laughed again and he suddenly realised what he was doing,_

_" Hikari... I-I-I have to go now."_

_**" What? But why--"**_

_" The Nobody. They may be able to trace this... I don't know. I have to go now, goodbye."_

_**" But, Riku, wait! I lo--"**_

_Click._

_-- 3 months later--_

_The woman smiled, giggling as the 3-month-old in her arms tugged at her elbow-length hair. They were walking across the plain in the opposite direction, heading back for the forest. She giggled again as it cooed and ran her fingers over it's chubby cheeks,_

_" Yeah, you're gonna see your Daddy, soon. That's right... you look so much like him already! He'll be so happy when he sees you..."_

_" Excuse me, miss?"_

_She stopped and turned to face the person speaking to her. He was cloaked in shadows and she frowned,_

_" May I help you?"_

_A few seconds of blurred images and the woman screamed, her baby wailing as the man attacked them._

_--_

_He straightened, nearly dropping the dripping dish in his hand as he gazed out the kitchen window,_

_" Hikari..."_

_Something suddenly slammed into the back of his head and he grunted, falling to the floor. The last thing he heard clearly was the sound of shattering china..._

_--2 hours later--_

_He awoke from his nightmare to find himself lying on the floor of their cottage, the back of his head throbbing with pain. He felt as though he'd been hit by a truck.... or two.... or three....._

_A sudden piercing memory shot through his mind and he stood immediately, glancing around at their trashed living space,_

_" Hikari..."_

_In a flash, he was barrelling through the woods as fast as his feet would go. He could hear her screams echoing coldly in his head and the memory of his nightmare came back to him. It was Hikari. She was running across the vast green plain with a black bundle in her arms, an Unknown attacking her from behind. It stabbed her repeatedly and then...._

_' No, it was just a dream... just a dream...'_

_Then he had heard wailing. At the memory of the cries, he pumped his legs faster, his vision beginning to blur. He shook his head, clearing his sight again,_

_" Hikari!!"_

_Nothing. He soon saw that the final trees of the forest were coming up and he sped faster, wincing as the blaring sunlight blinded him for a moment,_

_" HIKARI!!"_

_The moment he stepped into the clearing, his worst fears were realised. There she was lying in the grass with her back turned to him. Blood had soiled her pure white dress and it leaked down her skin to the grass around her. She was motionless... as was the bundle in her arms. He knew what that bundle was... it was their child. Their precious baby boy. Falling to his knees, he placed a shaky hand on her arm and sniffled, his vision wavering. He thought it was just from the tears in his eyes, but soon he knew it was more than that. _

_His vision was blacking out. Pressing his forehead against her pale, bare arm, he began to sob incessantly, until a small coo from nearby brought him back to reality. He immediately raised his head and found that his hair was caught on something. Another coo and he realised that something was inside the bundle. The black, which he soon found was the cloak he'd given her, moved suddenly, causing him to jump. _

_He pushed back the cloth to find a set of gorgeous, golden eyes peering up at him. The eyes belonged to a baby about three months old, with skin of blue and tufts of soft, crimson hair. He ran his finger along it's cheek and it cooed again, wrapping it's miniature tail around his finger. Smiling sadly, he pulled the bundle from Hikari's arms and laughed as the baby tugged at his hair,_

_" You must be the one I've heard so much about..."_

_The baby cooed again and he brought up a finger for him to play with,_

_" She lied about you. You look nothing at all like me... you look like her. That's good I suppose..."_

_The infant giggled at this and he smiled, a tear falling from his eye. It splattered on the azure baby's skin and the child cooed again, almost as if to warn him. For it was then that the air drew colder and quickly, he rolled his wife over onto her back, gently kissing her lips,_

_" I love you."_

_The sound of chirping became loud behind him and he stood, holding his son tightly to his chest as he shot off into a run for Midgar,_

_" I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, Hikari." _

_Had he looked behind him, he would've seen the worst sight imaginable as the Heartless began to tear his angel into shreds..._

_--20 minutes later--_

_He'd been running. Running for what seemed like hours on end. Countless Heartless had attacked him and he'd been unable to protect himself. All he could think about was getting the baby to safety. It wailed and hollered with each strike the Heartless made on him, each tear crying a river of blood. Finally, now tired and in extreme pain, he listened hard and heard the sound of people. He'd reached the city at last. _

_Holding the crying child closer to his chest, he hurried further into the town, searching for any word on where her bar might be. A few passers by tried to help him, but screamed at the bundle in his arms and ran in terror. A kind lady selling flowers nearby helped him over to the bar, then scolded him for wanting to take an infant into a wretched place like that. He thanked her anyway and stumbled blindly toward the door._

_It was locked. Pounding on the door with his foot, he waited a few moments, the pain in his body intensifying. He heard the door creak open and a light voice said,_

_" I'm sorry, we're closed.... Riku!?"_

_It was her. It was Tifa. Grunting slightly, he motioned for the 15-year-old to get the child and took in a breath,_

_" Here... take him...."_

_She did as she was told and stepped out of the way, letting him enter,_

_" Riku, are you all right? What happened to you?"_

_He staggered for a moment, gazing into darkness,_

_" I...I...can't... the kid....crying....loud screams.... Hikari..."_

_He then blanked out, Tifa's faint screams ringing in his ears,_

_" Riku!!"_

_--That night--_

_He awoke slowly, his head pounding as if a tiny drummer was beating on his skull from the inside. He opened his eyes... there was only darkness. Terrified, he took in a breath and tried to sink into the bed,_

_' It's not real... it's just a dream. That's right! I'll be waking up any minute now!'_

_He then heard a voice nearby,_

_" Riku?"_

_" Hikari?"_

_Something cool then touched his forehead and he tensed, trying insanely to wake from his nightmare,_

_" No... Tifa. Don't you remember what happened?"_

_His memories slowly played back to him and the horror of it all hit him instantly, causing him to scream,_

_" HIKARI!!"_

_Sitting up in bed, he struggled blindly with the 15-year-old for a moment,_

_" Please, I have to go to her!! She's in trouble!! The baby--"_

_It was then a child's wailing cut into the night air._

_-- Two nights later--_

_He had finally calmed down and told Tifa what he remembered, for she didn't know of Hikari's death. She sounded as though she wished he hadn't told her and reluctantly called Barret over to help take care of the baby while he was recovering. It had been two days since then. Barret was now sleeping in a chair not far from his bed and he, in turn, was having a fit trying to sleep. His mind was filled with images of Hikari. To make matters worse, he had learned from a doctor not 40 minutes ago that he was now permanently blind in both eyes. He would never see his son's face again._

_A sudden cry from downstairs alerted him and he whimpered, patting the bed lightly,_

_" Barret?"_

_Snoring was all he got in response. Again, he patted the bed, the wailing growing louder,_

_" Barret, wake up."_

_Still, snoring. _

_Murmuring a soft prayer, he pulled the covers away and stood, staggering slightly as a sudden dizzy spell swarmed him. Pain crawled up from the claw marks and gashes on his back, making him wince. He ignored it however and carefully felt his way out into the hall. From there, he slowly descended the stairs, tripped on the bottom step to hit the hardwood floor, and grunted, struggling to push himself off the ground._

_The baby's cries continued and cautiously, he felt his way around the bar to where the screams originated,_

_" Shhsh... it's alright, now. I'm here."_

_He pawed around inside what felt like a basket and touched the boy's feet, then carefully scooped him up into his arms. The child's cries still emanated throughout the house,_

_" What's wrong, huh? You have a bad dream or something?"_

_He heard footsteps coming down the stairs but decided to ignore them and began to walk around the bar,_

_" Me too."_

_Grunting a bit as he ran into a table, he side stepped and walked around it,_

_" Bad dreams...looks like we already have something in common, don't we?"_

_The baby's wailing soon began to change into tiny laughter as he, again, ran into something. Smiling, he let the child suck on his finger,_

_" Oh, you think that's funny, huh?"_

_Finally, he felt an odd warmth on his chest coming from what he assumed wasa window,_

_' Must be the moon...'_

_Sighing slightly, he began to gently bounce the child as it started to whimper a bit,_

_" No... no, don't you cry. Don't cry..."_

_The baby seemed to listen to him and it sniffled, tightly grabbing his finger. He felt a little tear soak into his fingertip and he smiled sadly,_

_" You miss Mommy too, don't you... little guy?"_

_A sniffle was what he received in reply. He carefully ran his finger along the child's cheek and smiled, warm tears welling in his blinded eyes,_

_" It's a shame I'll never see you... she told me you were beautiful. She loved you so much.... called me right after you were born to tell me all about you. But I was a fool then, kid. I-I hung up on her... I was afraid that somebody would overhear us talking about you and come after you and your Mommy. That must be why she left Mei's... to bring you home to me. You see, it's all my fault that your Mommy's gone. Maybe... just maybe if I'd listen to her, she wouldn't have gone out all on her own. I have no right to be your Daddy, kid. I'm just the lowly son of the Devil, but you? You're a gift from God, little guy...... that's it. That's what I'll name you..."_

_The baby now lay sleeping peacefully in his arms and he sniffled, gently running his hand over the baby's soft hair,_

_" Tobi."_

_" I'll teach you to see him, Riku."_

_The man turned quickly at the sound of Tifa's voice, frowning,_

_" What?"_

_She walked up to him and placed both hands on his face, turning her to face him,_

_" I'll teach you to see him. It's a bit tricky and takes a lot of practice, but you will see him--"_

_" How," he began, shaking his head as he glanced down,_

_" How can I? I'm permanently blind, now! My eyes won't work anymore--"_

_" Then you'll use your heart, then!"_

_He sniffled shaking his head,_

_" It won't work... my heart is shrouded in darkness."_

_Tifa cupped his cheek with a cold hand, her voice comforting to his soul,_

_" Then we'll find a light to cut through it."_

_He lowered his blind gaze toward Tobi, smiling,_

_" I think I've already found that light, Tifa..."_

_----_

Riku's grip on the boy loosened as he felt himself beginning to fade and he drew his lips nearer Tobi's ear,

" You were my light... son."

Tobi's eyes widened as the man fell limp and pulled back quickly, his heart freezing in terror as Riku's hand dropped to the bed... lifeless.

Kae lowered her head, clamping a hand over her ears as Tobi's cries drifted out into the hallway, steadily becoming louder,

" Riku!? Riku, no!! Come back!! Don't leave me here all alone!! No!! RIKU!!!!"

The auburn-haired girl slid down the wall, burying her face in her legs as his wailing sobs burned her ears.

_' It shouldn't be this way... no one should ever have to die...'_

* * *

Rasheed raised his head as a strong breeze whipped through the Loft, sensing that the single candle he'd had Ahmal light before going to bed had now been snuffed out by the wind. The man nodded gravely, knowing all too well that it was more than just the wind that had taken the warmth from the tiny candle,

" Farewell, Legend. May Allah be with you in all of your travels..."

_

* * *

_

_The time will come where you must embrace the darkness, but where one life ends..._


	76. Chapter SeventyFive

Chapter Seventy-Five

Kae quietly entered the bedroom, gulping harshly at Riku's lifeless form. She covered her mouth and sat down, lowering her head,

" I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I tried to heal you, I did.... but trying wasn't good enough I guess."

Taking in a deep breath, she stood and grabbed the blood drenched sheets covering his body. A tear fell from her eye and she looked away as she carefully pulled it up over the silver-haired man's head,

" Good-bye...Riku."

She then turned away and wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him as if not to wake him from his eternal slumber.

* * *

Axel sighed as he met with the new recruits in the Entrance Hall of Castle Oblivion. He scanned them over carefully, pausing upon reaching a young boy about the age of 15. He had dirty brown hair and mahogany eyes, his skin nice and tanned from hours of working in the sun. Axel smirked, addressing them all as he gazed down at the boy,

" All of you are here for one purpose... to join our cause. I'd like to take a minute to determine your motives. Starting with you."

The boy blinked up at him, his ratty, brown cloak shifting as he moved his head. Axel looked down at him with vibrant green eyes,

" What is your name?"

" Syaoran, sir."

" Where are you from, Syaoran?"

" The Kingdom of Clow, sir."

Axel nodded, rubbing his chin in thought as began to pace back and forth in front of him,

" Why are you here?"

Syaoran fell silent, lowering his gaze to the pure white floors of the castle. The image of a young girl dressed in a white dress with gold trim came into his mind. Her hair was light brown and bobbing and her emerald eyes gazed deeply into his. A sudden crack of thunder and pure white wings sprouted from her back, flying her away from him as she screamed out his name,

_' " Syaoran!!"'_

" I'm searching for someone... someone very important to me."

He then looked to Axel, a stern look on his face,

" I'll do anything the Organisation wishes to find her."

The boy beside him, a boy Axel had recently learned was called Chrno, seemed a bit surprised that a boy so young could be so rigid with his words,

_' Then again... I've no room to talk right now!'_

" You, Chrno. Why are you here?"

Chrno jumped, glancing up at the fiery-haired man with a look of surprise,

" Me?"

" _Yes_, you! What is your intent?"

The dark-haired boy nodded, his crimson eyes glowing softly,

" Oh, sorry! I'm also looking for someone. Her name is...Rosette Christopher."

* * *

A few hours later, Kae and Tobi stood out on the plains, gazing down at the fresh mound of dirt before them. The azure boy knelt down and planted a cross made of twigs at the mound's head, Kae sighing as he stood up,

" There..."

Right beside Riku's grave was another one. It, however, seemed to have been there awhile, as it was overgrown and could only be noticed by the cross protruding from the ground. They could only assume that it was Hikari's.

She smiled slightly, tears dancing in her eyes,

" Now, they can finally be together...huh?"

The girl turned to see that Tobi was already heading back for the cottage and she frowned, shouting to him as he quickly walked away,

" Where are you going?"

* * *

Tobi took in a deep breath, ignoring Kae's calls as he marched silently through the trees,

_' I can't believe he's gone... it's so unreal...'_

Finally, he reached ' Marijuana' and climbed inside the cockpit, sucking in a deep breath as he clicked the radio on,

_' Someone has to tell them what happened...'_

A heavy weight dropped on the boy's heart as Barret answered with a yawn, muttering curses at him, or moreover, muttering curses at,

**" D$$#, Riku! It's three in the mornin'! Whatch'you want!?"**

Taking in a deep breath, Tobi forced himself to stay composed and he smiled a little, hoping not to sound upset,

" Barret?"

* * *

Barret raised an eyebrow as he held the phone to his ear and he yawned again,

" Squirt? Whatch'you doin' up so late? Idn't past your bedtime?"

The man soon heard a soft sob and he tensed, frowning deeply,

" Squirt? You okay? What's wrong?"

**" Something...something happened Barret. Something bad..."**

He could hear the strain in the boy's voice and his frown deepened as Cid stumbled out into the living room, grumbling as he trudged past the black man to the kitchen,

" What happened? Is it Kae? Is she hurt or somethin'? Is it Riku? I swear if he got himself in trouble again, I'ma kick his little--"

**" It's Riku, Barret. And he's not in trouble... at least, not anymore."**

**

* * *

**

**" What...what do you mean?"**

Tobi took in a deep breath and grabbed hold of the dashboard, hot tears streaming down his azure cheeks,

" He's dead, Barret.... Riku's dead."

The boy then heard nothing but silence on the line.

* * *

Barret's face fell and he felt a part of him shatter, a past memory coming back to haunt him,

_That's what ya get for goin' off alone, ya jacka$$! I told you, ya can't keep doing this! You's gonna get yo' self killed!!"'_

--_Traverse Town: 2 months ago--_

_Riku grinned, his toothy smile aggravating him even more,_

_" Ah, but I'm not dead yet, am I?"_

_He clenched his fist tightly and growled,_

_" Da$$#t, kid!! Gaaagggh!!"_

_----_

_" Jes'... jes' be careful out there, awright? Don't go gettin' yo'self killed cause you done somethin' careless."_

_He heard the silver-haired man laugh and frowned,_

_" Yes, because I'm just so careless already..."_

_----_

_" Do you think I'll ever see her again?"_

_He sighed and turned his gaze to the stars, another breeze blowing past,_

_" I dunno... There's a lot of stars out there, kid. You never know which one she may be on... if she's on one at all."_

_Riku glanced over, his eyes seeming to stare at something beyond him,_

_" If she is on one....."_

_He then lowered his head sadly,_

_" Then, I'll be there soon."_

_----_

" Oh my G#d..."

Cid raised an eyebrow at Barret's sudden change in disposition and turned to him, lighting a cigarette calmly,

" What happened?"

The man didn't answer. Instead, he went back to his conversation with Tobi,

" When'd this happen?"

* * *

" About 4 hours ago. It's just about ten now... it would've been around 6."

**" How you holdin' up?"**

The boy smiled, shaking his head,

" I'm not. Barret, I... I-I don't know what I'm doing anymore..."

**" I know the feeling, squirt... so... was he in peace?"**

Again, the boy shook his head,

" No... Ansem stabbed him... severed his spine, went straight through his stomach."

**" Oh my G#d..."**

* * *

He heard the boy choke on a sob and he shook his head, listening intently to the boy's crackled speech,

**" Barret, tell me something."**

Barret nodded, bracing himself on a nearby table. It was all too much to handle,

" Sure thing..."

The boy coughed, sucking in a wavy breath before speaking again,

**" Why did Riku call me 'son'? What was he talking about?"**

Barret's heart sank and he shook his head, tears now streaming down his cheeks,

" He never got the chance to tell you...."

* * *

A strange feeling fell over the boy, one he knew he didn't like,

" Tell me? Tell me what, Barret? What was he supposed to tell me?"

The man took in a breath and sighed, speaking softly to himself,

**" He always meant to... he just never got around to it..."**

" Barret, tell me!! What did Riku want me to know!?"

**" That he was your father, kid!!"**

* * *

Tobi fell silent and Barret sighed, shaking his head,

" He always meant to. I don't know why he never did... in allhonesty, I think he was afraid that you'd get hurt or something..."

It was then that he heard the boy begin to sob violently. The 60-year-old shook his head with a sigh, softly telling the boy one last thing before letting him mourn in silence,

" He told me once that he named you Tobi... short for Tobias, because it means, ' God is good'. He loved you, squirt. You were a God-given gift to him..."

Barret then hung up and turned to Cid, who was calmly burning out one cigarette. He then took another out of his pocket and swiped his match across the box, not even bothering to look up as he asked,

" So, what's goin' on?"

The one-handed man rubbed his temples sadly, lowering his head,

" Riku's dead."

Cid froze, his cigarette falling from his mouth, only to bounce and roll away as it hit the kitchen floor...

* * *

Tobi dug his nails deep into the skin of his knees, hugging himself tightly as tears rushed forth from his eyes. That explained everything... why Riku had taken him in... why he'd said he loved him.

_' It was because I AM his son...'_

He sobbed harder as he remembered the last thing he'd said to him at Hollow Bastion,

_' " I HATE YOU, RIKU!!"'_

* * *

Kae lowered her head as she reached the ship, gazing up at him as he continued to sob,

" Tobi..."

* * *

It had taken a couple hours, but Kae finally managed to talk Tobi down from the ship and he now sat outside of the cottage as she cleaned up inside. The moon shone happily through the trees as he sat there on the front porch. He took in a deep breath, turning his golden gaze to the crisp night skies above him.

The canopy seemed to move for him and he felt his eyes begin to glisten with tears as the stars twinkled peacefully in the heavens. It had been only about 5 hours since Riku's passing and the boy had already cried his tears away... or so he thought. He didn't want to believe that any of this was real... all he wanted was to go back to Midgar and pretend that none of this had ever happened,

_' But I can't even do that... Midgar's gone... and so is...'_

The boy covered his eyes, sucking in a deep breath to keep himself from crying again. He hated crying. It made him feel so weak and helpless,

_' Maybe that's why Kae hates crying, too... maybe it's why you hated crying...'_

Taking in a deep breath, he turned slightly as he heard Jun's nails clicking behind him. The wolf whimpered and nudged at his hand, making the azure boy smile slightly,

" I know, Jun... I know."

Tobi took in another deep breath at this, scratching Jun behind the ears as he gazed out into the snow-covered woods of the Mystic Forest,

" **Hmhmm hmm hmhmmm, I've been searching through the dark... For traces--**"

" Tobi?"

The boy jumped, swivelling around to see Kae standing in the doorway. The warm glow of the lamps behind her made her seem like a silhouette with bright blue eyes, so turned back around; silently raising his gaze to the skies.

The auburn-haired girl sat down beside him, shivering as the cold concrete sent chills up her spine. She remained silent, unsure of what exactly she could say to him. She didn't have to say anything, for he spoke first,

" He was my father..."

Kae's eyes widened and sheglanced over at the boy, noticing for the first time, the steady stream of tears flowing down his cheeks. Gulping harshly, he coughed, turning to her with a sadden expression,

" I never even got... I never got to say..."

He then lowered his head and began to sob, Kae's heart breaking even more,

_' He shouldn't be like this... he shouldn't have to go through what I did...'_

Almost instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair softly, letting him cry on her,

" I'm sure he knew."

Tobi's ragged sobs tore into her heart like a knife and she closed her eyes, silently praying his pain away,

_' God, why must You do this to Your children? What purpose is there for it?'_

" Hey..." she began, pulling away from him and offering a small smile,

" How about we sleep somewhere else tonight, huh?"

The boy nodded silently and she stood, rubbing his arm comfortingly as she headed to the back inside to gather their things,

" I'll just go get our stuff, then..."

* * *

As she entered the bedroom, she was met with the nauseating smell of blood and the ominous sight of a blood-stained bed. The sight of the crimson mattress made her feel sick and she quickly grabbed their supply bag, hoisting it over her shoulder as she started for the door.

She paused, however, upon seeing Riku's discarded cloak,

_' Maybe...maybe it would be good for Tobi to have it. And the staff, too... then at least he could have something that belonged to Riku that he could carry with him always...'_

Picking up both items, the girl smiled and headed out into the living room.

* * *

Tobi was now sitting on the couch and he sighed, turning through the pages of an old photo album,

" Look at them, Kae."

Kae set the items beside her and sat down next to the boy, smiling at the picture he'd turned to,

" Oh, wow... look at that."

It was a photograph of what they could only assume was Riku and Hikari's wedding. Riku seemed to be a bit beat up in the picture, as he was wearing a pair of black slacks and simple white shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal several bandages wrapped around his torso. Hikari stood right beside him, wearing a lengthy, white dress and a matching see-through shall, a wreath of pure-white flowers weaved with garland resting atop her head. Her belly seemed to bulge a little and Tobi smiled, tapping at it with tears in his eyes,

" Hey, look. It's me..."

Kae glanced up at him with sympathy. He looked at her with a sad grin and she turned back to the picture. It was true... he did look an awful lot like Riku...

_--Traverse Town--_

_" ' Hey kid, guess what? Your dad's practically the son of the Devil! Ha, ha!' You're $#--tin' yourself if you think I'll tell him..."_

_Barret sighed, shaking his head,_

_" Kid, you gotta tell him. He'll understand--"_

_" The he$# he will, Barret! Just knowing that he's even remotely related to that ba$t#$d will crush him!!"_

_Riku then shook his head,_

_" And besides.... what if Ansem finds out about him? He'll come after him for sure!"_

_Barret shook his head, placing a hand on the silver-haired man's shoulder,_

_" You don't know that--"_

_" He went after Hikari, Barret..."_

_Barret froze completely as Riku lowered his head and removed his hand from the blind one's shoulder,_

_" What...?"_

_Riku turned to face the muscular man, sighing deeply,_

_" He went after and killed her... Who's to say he wouldn't kill Tobi as well?"_

_----_

Her sapphire eyes then widened in fearful revelation,

_' That would mean... Ansem must be Tobi's...'_

The boy then closed the book and wiped the tears from his eyes as he stood, taking it with him as he headed for the door,

" Well, let's get out of here."

* * *

The pair arrived at an inn in Kalm a few hours later and checked into a room, Tobi immediately walking over to the cot he'd ordered,

" I'm going to sleep."

The auburn-haired girl nodded and she sighed, taking the Twin size hotel bed for herself. She didn't feel good about taking it... not after all that had happened. It had been a truly _long_ day....

--

And the nextfive days were just as long as that one! Kae groaned as she lie on the bed, aimlessly gazing up at the ceiling,

_' It's been four days... we need to continue our mission, already!'_

She then glanced over at Tobi and frowned. The boy was still looking at the photos he'd picked up from the cottage. Groaning in irritation, she looked over at the clock and found that it was already 9pm,

_' Well, there's another day wasted...'_

Again, she glanced over at him. This time, however, she smiled,

_' I've got an idea...'_

Quickly hopping off of the bed, she grabbed Tobi by the collar and yanked him to his feet, confusing him,

" Kae? What are you doing?"

She smirked, grabbing hold of his wrist as she lead him out the door,

" We're going out."

Tobi raised an eyebrow at her and frowned,

" Out? Kae, I don't think I'm ready for--"

" WE'RE GOING OUT AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FUN, D$$#!! AND THAT'S FINAL!!"

* * *

Tobi was sure that she'd lost it once he found where she'd taken him,

" A carnival?"

Kae cursed, kicking at the gate,

" And it's closed too... you see, if you'd gotten up off your lazy $$ sooner, we'd've been able to have some _legal_ fun!"

The boy sighed, turning back toward town,

" Sorry... hold on! Legal fun...? Kae, what're you--"

He groaned as she grabbed him and began picking the lock with his tail,

" Hey I didn't consent to this!! Isn't this considered breaking and entering!?"

" No! I didn't break anything, so technically, it's just 'and entering'... now c'mon!!"

* * *

They walked through the deserted carnival quietly until Kae turned to him, smiling,

" I remember the very first festival I ever went to as a kid. I was three. My mom and dad were having so much fun taking me around to all the booths.... and my dad, he would go to every single one to win me and my mom teddy bears. "

Tobi nodded, both hands in his pockets as they walked down the empty fairway,

" Sounds nice..."

The girl nodded, smirking up at him,

" It was. Hey, maybe ifmy dadwere here right now, he could win you a Peppermint Rose doll or something."

She giggled as Tobi shoved her arm and shook his head, trying to suppress a smile. Kae then smiled, spotting the ride looming in the distance,

" Oh, Tobi! Look!"

The azure boy looked up at the circular structure, raising an eyebrow,

" What is it?"

She gazed up at him with disbelieving sapphire eyes and she gasped,

" What!? You're kidding me! You _have_ to know what a Ferris wheel is!"

He began to shake his head when she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to it,

" Well, then I'll just have to show you!!"

* * *

As they reached it, however, she realised that there was no way to turn it on. The booth was sealed up tight and the lock was a combination one, not a key lock. She cursed, kicking the machine in aggravation,

" Man... and I wanted to show you the view from the top."

Tobi turned to her and shrugged,

" What's stopping you?"

She frowned as he suddenly grabbed her and dissipated into smoke, both reappearing at the very top seat. The seat rocked violently and they both quickly sat down before they toppled over the side.

Kae's eyes widened and she grabbed hold of the handle bar, gulping with pure white knuckles,

" S-See? Isn't it beautiful?"

Tobi smiled, glancing around at the town below,

" It is..."

Turning back to Kae, he snorted a little,

" What's wrong?"

The girl gulped, her eyes shut tightly,

" Oh, nothing..."

" _Sure_. Now, what is it?"

Taking in a deep breath, she smiled sheepishly,

" I'm... a little afraid of heights..."

After a few moments of silence, she felt his arms wrap around her and she opened her eyes, blinking in surprise. He was gazing down at her with tears in his eyes, the moonlight glowing softly on his skin,

" Thanks, Kae..."

She then lowered her head and closed her eyes, smiling as she felt her heart skip a beat,

_' You're welcome.'_

" Say, Tobi?"

" Hmm?"

" You said that you sang me a song awhile back... what song was it?"

The boy blushed and he blinked to see Kae gazing up at him with bright sapphire eyes,

" Uh... it wasn't anything really. Just a song that Tifa taught me a long time ago."

" Ooh! How did it go?"

" Well, I--"

" C'mon, Tobi! Sing for me! Or are you too chicken...?"

He scowled at that and turned his gaze to the moon as Kae rested her head against his chest, smiling as he began to sing,

" **Alone for awhile, I've been searching through the dark. For traces of the love you left, inside my lonely heart. To weave by picking up the pieces that remain. Melodies of life; love's lost refrain...**"

The girl smiled, lightly closing her eyes as his rich, tenor voice carried out across the sleeping town.

* * *

Rain had steadily begun to pour on Kalm as the two ran back to the inn, soaking wet and laughing as hard as utterly possible. Tobi quickly unlocked the door to their room and let Kae go in before him, the girl brushing her stringy bangs from her eyes,

" Oh my Gd! Can you believe they actually bought that?"

Tobi shook his head as he shut the door behind him, sighing as he leaned back against it,

" Yeah, who'd ever believe _you_ of all people could be Irish!"

The girl rolled her eyes, re-enacting her encounter with the security guard as she pulled off her boots,

" Yes, officer? O, I'm sorry! I can't understand ye. Ye see, my werld is a wee diff'rent from yours, sir, and the language barrier--"

She set her boots down and turned around, startled to find Tobi standing there,

" Oh my G#d! Tobi, don't do that! You scared me--"

" I had fun tonight, Kae..."

He gazed down at her awkwardly, but she smiled anyway,

" Well, I'm said to be a very fun date..."

The boy was silent as he gazed into her eyes and she shifted uncomfortably, wondering just what he was looking at exactly,

" What? Is there something on my face?"

He immediately shook his head and placed a hand on her cheek,

" Yeah..."

Then carefully, he leaned in closer until there noses touched and, upon making sure she wouldn't pull away, Tobi softly pressed his lips against hers. Kae's eyes widened and she blinked, again feeling that strange tingling sensation creep up through her body. As the kiss ended, Tobi backed away, scratching his head,

" I-I'm sorry! I-I don't know what came over me.... I-I'll just--"

He turned to his cot, halting as he felt a tug at his wrist. The boy turned back to see that Kae was now gazing at him longingly, a deep blush painting her cheeks,

" Don't..."

Blinking, he stepped back over to her and frowned, gulping harshly,

" Don't...?"

Kae stepped closer to him, gazing down at his chest before her eyes found their way back to his,

" Don't."

She then drew even closer, planting on his lips, a tender kiss of her own accord. It was his turn to be surprised and he found his eyes lightly drooping shut as the kiss deepened. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before... nothing.

His hands found their way to her coat zipper and he lightly tugged on it, breaking the kiss for a moment to seek her approval. She nodded slightly and their lips met again, her coat falling to the floor seconds later. He was vaguely startled as his hands traveled over soft skin and he opened his eyes to see that she was now completely topless. Her blush darkened into one of slight embarrassment as he stared at her, feeling as if she were shrinking behind her scarred up body.

Tobi smiled and lifted her chin with his hand, relief soon washing over her as he kissed her again. Kae then felt his hands travel across the hideous scar on her back, feeling a bit more at ease when they didn't stop there. They traveled along her hips and back to the front, where they unzipped her shorts and tugged them off. Kae felt her heart rate increase and she quickly helped him pull of his shirt, smiling slightly at his dinky abs.

Her hands traced along his toned torso and down to his pants clasp, gently unfastening the closure. She kissed his chest as she did so, her heart thumping madly in hers as she heard him sigh softly. As soon as she'd managed to unzip his slacks, he quickly kicked them off and laid her down on the bed, softly kissing her neck. She ran her hands along his back as his lips traced up to her earlobe and he softly moaned her name in her ear,

" Kae..."

His hands then travelled down to her panties and she groaned, gazing up at him with longing eyes. He pulled them away and gently glided his hand up her thigh, making her want him even more. She tugged at his black and blue striped boxers, pressing herself against him in earnest anticipation. His mouth went dry then as he suddenly realised just what he was doing. He idly thought about stopping and apologizing for taking advantage of her... but upon feeling her gentle touch on his now bare skin, he dismissed the thoughts immediately.

Hesitating at first, he lowered himself on top of her, moaning as he felt himself enter her body. She tensed, biting back a scream as he pressed himself against her,

_' Ow!! You Baka!!'_

Soon, all other thought fleeted from her mind and she groaned loudly, nearly screaming at the pleasure she now felt. Her fists tightly gripped the white sheets they laid on and Tobi slowly ran his palm down her arm, their fingers locking tightly as their hands met at last.

Tonight would be one they'd never forget, for it would their last one together....ever.

_

* * *

_

_...another begins._

* * *

A/N: Well, you all wanted to know how they'd make out!! Happy Chrismahanukwanaka everybody! 


	77. Chapter SeventySix

Chapter Seventy-Six

The storm ended a few hours later, the moonlight now pouring in through the window to the right of the bed. Tobi lay awake, his thoughts in great disarray. He sighed deeply and glanced down at Kae, who lay peacefully beside him,

_' What...what just happened here? What did I...? What did we...? What have I done?'_

She murmured in her sleep, snuggling closer to him,

" Tobi..."

Sighing again, he brushed the bangs away from her face and kissed the top of her head, smiling faintly,

_' She's so beautiful...'_

Carefully, he twisted out from under her and sat up in bed, quietly pulling his boxers back on before standing. He froze as he began pulling his slacks on, nervously eyeing Kae as she turned over with a whimper,

" Don't go..."

Tobi gulped, not sure if she was awake or still dreaming. He then heard her softly begin to snore and sighed in relief, zipping up his pants quietly. Sliding his shirt back on, he pulled on his boots and started for the door,

" I'm sorry."

Something made him stop again, however, and he glanced over at the dresser to his left. A black bundle lay on it's surface and frightfully, he walked over to scan it. Lifting it carefully, he nearly dropped it upon it's unfolding. It was Riku's ragged cloak, the gaping holes in the front and back lightly stained in crimson. Tobi took in a deep breath, deciding that he didn't care what it looked like and put the cloak on anyway. Immediately, he felt comforted. He grabbed the idle staff standing in the corner, stuffing something extra in his pocket as he quietly headed for the door, making sure to lock it on his way out,

_' I hope you don't wake before I return...'_

Jun whined at him, his nails clicking across the hardwood floor as he followed after him. Tobi turned and knelt down, scratching the wolf behind the ears,

" No, Jun. You stay here. Watch over her until I get back, okay?"

Jun whined again and Tobi smiled, pushing himself to his feet.

Then carefully turning toward the town exit, he raised the hood on the cloak and headed out into the oncoming downpour spreading across the plains.

* * *

Axel frowned upon seeing his ex-ally crossing the plains and narrowed his eyes, 

" Tobi!"

The azure warrior seemed to hear him and he glanced up, his golden eyes glowing underneath the hood,

" A-Axel?"

The fiery-haired man simply smiled and started toward him, shoving both hands in his pockets,

" I heard what happened. Sorry."

Tobi frowned, cautiously looking him over,

" Why do _you_ care? What do you want?"

Axel raised his hands in innocence, glowing softly as the rain splattered on his pale face,

" Nothing. I'm just here to offer my condolences. It must really hurt to lose someone as precious as a father..."

Tobi's eyes widened and he frowned at him, gulping a bit harshly,

" How... how did you know that?"

The red-headed Nobody simply shrugged,

" It wasn't hard to figure out... seeing as how you both looked a lot a like as it was. He was also a little _too_ over protective when it came to matters concerning you, don't you think?"

The azure-skinned fighter nodded, clenching his fists,

" He had every right to be. I was no where near as strong as I thought I was."

He began heading on his way when Axel called him back,

" Don't kid yourself! You are far stronger than any fighter I've _ever_ seen... and if not physically, I mean in will and determination."

Tobi stopped and turned back, raising an eyebrow at the man,

" Why are you telling me this? We're enemies."

Axel shrugged, walking up behind him,

" Well, you know what they always say. 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.'"

So, they walked slowly across the plains, chattering away like old friends until Axel finally stopped and pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket,

" Here. Take it."

Tobi took the paper in his hand and unfolded it, frowning as the rain began to soak it,

" What is this?"

" Those," the man began, pointing to the numbers written on it,

" Are the coordinates to Castle Oblivion. That's where I am stationed... Ansem as well."

The crimson-haired warrior nodded, his free fist clenching tightly. The name Ansem burned him so viciously that he could feel his blood beginning to boil just by the sound of it.

He then looked up at Axel, frowning sternly,

" You do know that if I ever see _your Master _again... I'll kill him."

Axel nodded, turning away from him and heading toward the east,

" I know. I'm counting on it."

He then tore a portal into the open air and stepped through, disappearing in a crack of thunder.

* * *

Tobi smiled upon finally reaching the a set of twin crosses in the ground. He knelt down before the newest one, sighing as he lowered the hood, 

" Hey... Dad."

The grave remained silent, but Tobi nodded anyway,

" I know I haven't been here to see you since the funeral but... I-I couldn't. I couldn't bear to think that'd I'd never actually see you again, so I forced myself to runaway from here. I thought that maybe soon, I'd find that it was all just some horrible dream and you'd wake up with a wicked grin on your face saying, ' Ha! Fooled you!'... but you didn't. And I know now that you won't."

His tears mingled with the rain as he went on and he pounded his fists on the ground, berating himself before the tomb,

" Da$$#t all! It's all my fault that this happened to you.... I'm sorry! I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't mean what I said when I said I _hated_ you! I was just angry at you because you kept treating me like a little kid, but truth be told, I _am_ just a little kid! I know that now... but knowing that won't bring you back to me!! I'm such a jerk!! I was so arrogant to think that I was strong enough to take on Ansem by myself... if only I hadn't been so stupid! Maybe _we'd both _be here right now visiting _Hikari_ instead of _me_ visiting _you_! If there was any way that I could turn back time and--"

His eyes then widened and he gasped, remembering what Kae had told him at Hollow Bastion,

_' " If you had the chance to go back and set right all the wrongs in your life.... wouldn't you risk everything you had to do it?"'_

He blinked glancing down at the grave again,

" Could it actually work?"

Closing his eyes lightly, Tobi smiled and turned his head to the skies,

_' I'll bring you back, Riku. Don't worry.... we'll all get a second chance.'_

Off in the distance, the glowing gold image of a man with silver hair and aquamarine eyes stood, folding his arms over his chest with a slight scowl. A woman with ebony-hair came up behind him, lightly touching his arm,

_'' C'mon... they're waiting for us.''_

He glanced back at her and nodded, hesitating for a moment as he looked back at the boy,

_'' Goodbye... Tobi.''_

Then without a second glance, he turned to face a boy with brunette hair and brilliant sapphire eyes, suddenly fifteen again. A 14-year-old girl beside the brunette giggled, her short, ruby locks bobbing at her chin. The 14-year-old brunette smirked at him,

_" I'll race you."_

The 15-year-old, ebony-haired girl beside him glanced up to see that he had cracked a smile and the boys were off, leaving the two girls to follow behind in their dust. As the sun began to rise, however, the ghosts faded, beginning their steady ascent into eternity...

* * *

Kae awoke that morning feeling cold. She smiled, though, remembering the night before and turned over, giggling softly, 

" Morni--"

The cold washed over her again as she rolled over to find herself alone. Quickly, she sat up and glanced around, her waist-length hair falling about her body. Covering herself with the blanket, tears of regret and anger welled in her eyes and she clenched her fist tightly, seething,

" Baka..."

She then headed for the bathroom and closed the door behind her, letting the blanket drop as she leaned back against the cold door,

" I'll always be alone...won't I?"

Lowering her head, she began to sob silently and she slid down the door, hugging herself tightly as she sat down,

_' How? How could he do this to me? After everything that's happened....'_

Then raising her head, she glared dangerously at the shower curtain, swearing through her gritted teeth,

" That ba$t#$d... I hate him."

Kae stood up, wiping away her tears as she walked over to the shower and calmly turned it on, feeling the hot water stream down her skin,

" I hate him... I hate him, I _hate_ him, I HATE HIM!!"

She picked up the soap bar and hurled it at the wall, satisfied as it splattered into a million soapy pieces.

* * *

After about 20 minutes, she stepped out of the bathroom and grabbeda pair ofunderwear, roughly yanking it on. Her pants and coat followed, and she seemed to be angry at her boots as she shoved them on her feet. She then refastened her holsters and picked up the supply bag, angrily marching out the door. What she didn't realise was that a young girl with ebony hair and sapphire eyes was happily watching her march away, her peachy tail swishing in satisfaction behind her.

* * *

Tobi smiled as the sun broke through the storm clouds, the rain finally coming to an end. He felt renewed, revived... until he felt a cold wind blow past him. Kae silently walked by, not even bothering to look down as she muttered softly, 

" Let's go."

He shivered at her voice and frowned, pulling something from his pocket. Carefully stringing it around Riku's cross, the man stood and hurried after her, calling for her to wait,

" Kae!"

Wrapped around that cross was Riku's tattered and bloody blindfold, and it waved like a flag in the cheery, morning breeze.

* * *

Axel sighed as he entered Lakchine's room, surprised to find that she had a guest with her. It was a boy with brown hair and mahogany eyes, tan skin and a dirty cloak, 

" Hey."

The boy turned and looked up at Axel, nodding solemnly,

" Yes?"

" You. You're the boy from before. Zaturan was it?"

The boy smiled, politely correcting him,

" Syaoran, sir."

" Ah, Syaoran. Forgive me," Axel said as he walked over and sat down on the bed beside his sleeping sister,

" I've got a lot on my mind lately."

Syaoran nodded, turning back to Lakchine,

" I can imagine. With your sister's illness and all..."

The fiery-haired Unknown seemed startled by the boy's comment, laughing a bit as he finally remembered,

" Oh, right. That was the power Ansem gave to you... psychic abilities."

" I'm sorry," Syaoran began bowing his head to his superior,

" I didn't mean to pry. It's just that your sister reminds me of a dear friend of mine..."

Axel nodded, sighing as he grabbed Lakchine's hand,

" You mean Sakura?"

The brunette nodded shortly,

" Yeah, Sakura. She is the Princess of Clow and her memories were scattered across the universe in a terrible accident. The Dimension Witch told me she would never remember me... but when she did, we were separated. I have to find her."

Axel frowned, quickly turning to tuck Lakchine into bed,

_' Not to be rude, kid, but I've got no clue what your talkin' about--'_

" What's wrong with her anyway?"

He glanced over at Syaoran and raised an eyebrow,

" Who? Your friend?"

The boy shook his head, pointing toward the blonde,

" No, your sister."

Axel nodded, sighing as he ran a hand through her soft hair,

" Oh, Lakchine... she's sick."

" With what?"

Axel growled, slightly becoming annoyed with all the boy's questions,

" A disease."

" Oh.... well, what kind of disease?"

" WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND ALL OF YOUR DA$#QUESTIONS!?"

Syaoran jerked back a bit, gulping at the man's sudden outburst. He took in a deep breath and lowered his head, quickly exiting the room,

" I'm sorry for prying."

Axel sighed as the door swung shut behind the boy, turning back to Lakchine with a small frown,

" I wish there was a way to cure you..."

* * *

Tobi sighed as Kae angrily punched in the code to Castle Oblivion, 

" Kae?"

She remained silent, ignoring him as the engines roared to life. Taking in a deep breath, he groaned and rubbed at his temples,

" Kae, listen. I can explain--"

She forcefully jetted the ship into the atmosphere, the man feeling himself sink deep into his seat. She seemed unfazed by the sudden take off, however, and slammed on the brakes as they exited the world, causing Tobi's face to smear against the windshield. Pushing himself back into his seat, he turned to her sharply and rubbed his cheek,

" Look, I'm sorry, okay!? I didn't mean to leave you like that--"

" Sorry won't cut it. Do you know how it feels to wake up alone after spending the most beautiful night of your life with someone who doesn't even have the decency to stick around for the morning after!?"

Tobi blinked, gulping as he noted the tears of anger glinting in her eyes,

" _Kae_--"

" No! Don't ' _Kae_' me! I should never have let you in. I thought you cared about me, Tobi! I thought that what we did last night was testimony to that--"

" Kae, what's going on with you!? I thought last night was--"

" What!? What did you think it was? Just a one night _thing_!? Well, I suppose it was, Tobi... because I'm sure as he$# that I'll never be _stupid_ enough to let you in my bed again!"

The woman then fell silent as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She quickly wiped them away, keeping her focus on the space before her,

" How about we just stop talking now?"

Tobi sniffled, lowering his head as his eyes began to glisten,

_' Last night was beautiful, Kae... and I do care about you, it's just.... I needed to talk to Riku, that's all! Now, if I only I could tell you that, maybe you'd understand why I wasn't there when you woke up...'_

So, the two remained silent for the rest of the two week trip, unaware of the tragedies that were soon to befall them once again.....


	78. Chapter SeventySeven

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Upon their arrival at Castle Oblivion, Kae turned to Tobi and silently handed him Riku's staff,

" Don't forget this."

She then unholstered her Tiny Bees and marched onward into the gorgeous mansion, the azure man quickly following after her,

" Kae, wait!"

He ran to her side and took in a deep breath, struggling to keep up with her brisk pace,

" Look, Kae... would you just stop and listen to me for a second!?"

Arduously, he grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her backward, forcing her to face him,

" Kae!"

" WHAT!?"

Tobi roughfully grabbed the back of her neck and tugged her forward, yanking her into a kiss.

* * *

Axel sighed as he stood at the window, gazing down at his two mortal enemies. He'd taken quite a liking to his ex-ally, Tobi, silently cursing at what he soon had to do, 

_' But it's what Ansem wishes... and as soon as it's done, we'll have the Keyblade in our hands. It's for the best... I'm sorry, Tobi.'_

A sudden knock behind him pulled him out of his trance and he turned, nodding to the young man at the door,

" Yes?"

A boy in his teens stood there, his shoulder-length, silver hair gleaming in the dim light. A strangely crafted weapon hung on his belt, a sword with two blades, and he wore an outfit almost identical to colleague, Yazoo,

" It's time."

The boy then glanced over at the sleeping Lakchine nearby with a softened expression and sighed, shaking his head as he started down the hall.

Sighing, Axel turned from the window and headed over to the bed, leaning down with a smile,

" I'll be back."

Lightly, he kissed the girl's forehead, which felt like fire to his lips, and stood, quietly shutting the door behind him as he exited the room.

The ill blonde groaned, slowly opening her eyes to look around in confusion,

" Axel...?"

* * *

Kae tightly shut her eyes and began pounding on his chest, her muffled screams soon loud enough for Barret and Cid to hear, 

" Stop... stop it... stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!"

She broke away from him angrily, her bangs falling before her eyes. Tobi gazed at her with sad eyes, lowering his head as she walked away,

" I love you, Kae."

The woman stopped and turned sadly, her pistols now unholstered and at her sides,

" No... you don't."

She then quietly turned and walked away, entering the castle alone.

* * *

The interior of the castle was pretty simple. White, marble flooring with intricate, blue designs on them, a few marble pillars here and there, a throne at the end of a red carpet... looked like a normal castle. There was just one thing that was askew with the scene... a young boy wearing a dirty brown cloak facing them at the foot of the throne. Tobi tensed and glanced over at Kae, who seemed perfectly calm for the moment. The boy stepped toward them silently, glancing back and forth between them, 

" You must be Tobi and Kae."

Tobi was surprised by this sudden statement, but again, Kae seemed to be calm,

" And you would be?"

She said, her voice bearing no emotion. The boy nodded, folding his arms silently,

" My name is Syaoran. I'm here to tell you Master Ansem's expectations for the both of you."

* * *

Lakchine coughed as she slowly stood, making her way for the door. Her legs almost gave out underneath her and she quickly grabbed onto a nearby table, coughing a bit more, 

" Axel...?"

She could hear muffled speech from outside and she edged toward the door, opening it carefully as not to make a sound. Her emerald gaze widened at what she saw.

A boy that she had met not long ago, known as Syaoran, was telling two people about the castle. It was the identities of the two people that surprised her. One was an auburn-haired girl that she'd seen back in the Heart of Darkness. Axel had told her that her name was Kae and she was the Keybearer's daughter. The other was a boy with blue skin and crimson hair. He now wore a tattered, black cloak that was stained in blood. He looked threatening, surely not like the boy that she'd seen in Castle Nemesis,

" Tobi...?"

* * *

" Furthermore, there are 13 levels that you must go through. Each level is filled with deadly Heartless and at the end will be another portal. A friend of mine is waiting on level 12, and I'm sure you know who resides on 13." 

Tobi snarled at the hint,

_' Ansem... that rat ba$t#$d...'_

" My Master wishes that you hurry as fast as you can... for as you continue to climb each of these levels, a world will be thrown into darkness."

Kae tensed at this, clenching her fists around her pistols as Syaoran continued,

" Should you win to my Master, the worlds will be restored... but should you not, each world and every person in this entire universe shall be thrown into oblivion... including you."

The azure man gulped, his golden eyes shimmering with nervousness. Syaoran then smirked, shrugging,

" Good luck."

The boy disappeared, leaving a portal behind him. Nodding with a sigh, Tobi turned to Kae,

" So, what should we do?"

Kae turned to him, heading for the portal that Syaoran left in his wake,

" We'll start on level one. Whoever gets to the end of the first level goes on to take care of the next one, and so on--"

" I mean about the worlds, Kae! What about the worlds!?"

The auburn-haired woman shrugged, stepping inside,

" What about them?"

* * *

Ansem smirked as he gazed out of the highest tower in Castle Oblivion, his eyes gleaming with pride, 

_' Only one ring left to go... and the Keyblade shall be mine at last. Excellent... now, which world to end first?'_

He stepped over to a glowing map on the desk to his left and looked them over carefully,

" So many to choose from.... hmm... I know."

Raising his index finger, he rested the tip on the left most world and chuckled, smirking insanely as darkness poured out of his body and onto the glowing image...

* * *

Barret sighed as he stepped out into the sunlight past the world gate. He stepped onto the grassy plain where the Highwind once sat, kneeling down by a cross now planted there. Engraved on the cross was a single name, one he held very near to his heart; **Riku**. Sighing deeply, he placed a rose on the silver-haired man's grave and smiled, a few tears streaking down his cheek, 

" Da$# punk..."

A sudden tremor beneath his feet made him look up and his brown eyes widened, a voice calling from behind him,

" Barret! What the f$#king he$#'s goin' on!?"

Cid had just stepped out of Traverse Town, a cigarette firmly set between his lips. Barret straightened as he stood, the winds beginning to pick up as a huge torrent of black clouds sped towards them. As it drew closer, they could see that it was a thick mist of darkness swelling closer and destroying everything in it's path.

The cigarette fell from Cid's mouth bouncing as it hit the ground. Barret spun around quickly, running back for the World Gate,

" Cid, go back!!"

Cid stayed rooted in place, his aged, blue eyes wide as the wave of dark mist washed over them. Two, pure pink hearts were dragged away with the ominous cloud, leaving behind an empty void of darkness in it's wake as it travelled over the sleepy town of Traverse.

* * *

Tobi gasped as he stepped through the portal, shocked to find himself in a world he knew very well, 

" Midgar!?"

Kae frowned, both pistols unholstered and at her sides,

" It can't be..."

" But it IS!!"

The man said with a laugh, wandering out into the middle of Sector 7. Everything was there, just the way he remembered it. The bar, the weapons shop, Riku's house.... even the missing section of plate high above them was gone. His heart leapt with joy as he forgot himself for a moment, snapping back to reality as a giggle came from behind him,

" Of _course _it is, kiddo! Why wouldn't it be?"

He spun on his heel to see a young woman standing on the porch of Seventh Heaven (hee hee... Seventh Heaven..), her long, raven hair fluttering in the slight breeze. Her mahogany eyes twinkled as she came down the stairs toward him, passing Kae by without a second glance. Tobi's golden eyes widened in disbelief as she walked straight toward him, his breath caught in his throat,

" T-Tifa?"

The woman stopped and placed both fists on her hip, smiling slightly,

" Who else would it be? The Easter Bunny?"

The man's eyes glittered with tears as he hastily wrapped his arms around the tiny woman, all thoughts of danger leaving his mind,

" Tifa!"

She embraced him warmly, gently rubbing his back as he shuddered with sobs,

" I thought.... I thought I... I thought that when you... and then Riku... and... I thought I'd never get the chance..."

" Shhsh," she said, running a hand through his soft hair,

" I know..."

A small dagger then appeared in her hand and she smirked evilly,

" I know."

* * *

Lakchine coughed as she wondered throughout the halls of Castle Oblivion. She was searching for her brother, whom she felt was in grave danger at this time. He'd said something to her about a mission to kill an ''ex-comrade'', and she knew only one person that he could be speaking of, 

_' Tobi...'_

She coughed again, and staggered over to a nearby table, knocking it's contents onto the floor. Her hair had fallen down, no longer in it's antennae like style. It now hung in strings around her face, matted down and tangled with cold sweat. Her forehead felt as if it would combust at any moment and she groaned, pushing herself along the wall,

_' Oh, man.. I haven't felt this $#i$$y since I was a kid...'_

Coughing a third time, she sunk to her knees and groaned, finding herself caught in a coughing spell.

" No! Don't quit!"

The 17-year-old glanced up to see a little girl standing there. She had chin-length, black hair and brilliant sapphire eyes, her skin very fair in colour. A tail twitched back and forth behind her and she wore a sleeveless, zip-up, black trench coat with jade trim. Her gloves and boots matched her coat, and quickly, she ran to Lakchine, grabbing hold of her arm,

" You can't give up now! He needs you! He'll die if you don't do something!!"

Lakchine raised an eyebrow at the little girl, frowning,

" Axel...?"

The child shook her head,

" No! Tobi!!"

Lakchine's emerald eyes widened at this...

* * *

" I know." 

Kae frowned at the woman. She didn't trust her at all, and not because she was jealous, either. She knew something wasn't right about the situation, for what she had managed to hear about Tifa was that the woman had died years ago. It was impossible for her to be here at all,

" Tobi, c'mon. Let's go."

The man looked up at her with an incredulous look on his face,

" What? Kae, why?"

" Because this isn't real! Tifa's dead, remember?"

Tifa quickly hid her dagger and turned back to look at the auburn-haired woman, her eyebrow raised,

" Dead? What're you talking about? I'm standing right here."

" Yeah, she definitelyain't dead."

Tobi and Kae turned to see Barret standing there, a white apron around his waist covered in grease,

" I don't know what'ch you all been smokin'... but she ain't dead. Idn't that right, kid?"

" Why are you asking me? You can see her for yourself, can't you?"

Behind Barret, another person stepped into view, his silver hair fluttering in the breeze.

Tobi's heart lurched and he felt tears sting at his eyes, a hard lump developing in his throat,

" R-R-Riku?"

Riku smiled, as he set a strange sword with two blades down beside him after having wiped it clean and he jammed the rag in his pocket,

" Of course! Who else would it be?"

Kae noted Tobi's reaction and quickly hurried in front of him, glaring at the other three with hatred,

" You stay away from him."

Barret laughed, as did Tifa. Riku shrugged,

" What's wrong with you, Kae? You sit in the ship for too long, huh?"

The auburn-haired girl turned back to Tobi with concerned eyes, frowning,

" You don't actually believe this, do you?"

Tobi looked down at her, then back at them with a smile,

" Kae... can't you see them! They're really--"

" No, they're not! Tobi, this is a trap! Remember, we're in Castle Oblivion. This is _their_ domain. _Ansem's_ domain. We buried Riku back on the Vast Plains, remember? Ansem _killed_ him!"

" What are you talking about!?"

She glanced back at Riku, who was obviously upset by her words,

" Is that some kind of sick joke?"

" No," Kae began, " It's not a joke. It's the truth."

Tifa glanced over at Riku, her eyes in a cold glare. The silver-haired man subtly motioned for her to take action and so she stepped around behind Tobi with a smile,

" We're all here for you, kiddo. You don't have to be afraid anymore..."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and rested her head on his shoulder, continuing to speak to him softly,

"We'll always be here to _protect_ you..."

" Tobi, don't listen to her... she's lying."

Both Tobi and Kae turned to see Lakchine staggering toward them. Riku's eyes widened at this and he cursed, glancing toward the blonde in concern,

" What are _you_ doing here!?"

Lakchine turned toward Tifa, ignoring the older man,

" You get away from him!"

Tifa grinned at her evilly and quickly shoved forward with her other hand, her grip on his shoulder tightening. Tobi stiffened as a sharp pain coursed through his body and he grunted, Kae screaming as he fell forward,

" Tobi!!"

Quickly, she took her gun and aimed it for Tifa, firing a bullet straight into the woman's eye. Tifa let out a terrible shriek and burst into a cloud of black smoke, leaving behind a pure pink heart that spiralled up toward the heavens.

She then turned slightly, Tobi grunting as she shot Barret in the chest,

" Kae, don't!"

Barret, too, shrieked and dissipated. Kae fired a shot off at Riku, one aimed for his chest, cursing as it missed. The older man laughed, his voice now changed to one of a higher pitch,

" Missed me."

He summoned the twin blade sword he'd left on the ground merely five feet from them and grinned, his body shifting into that of a young boy about the age of 18. Lakchine frowned, coughing slightly as stepped toward him,

"Why?"

The boy smirked, shrugging slightly,

" Because."

Tobi glowered at him as Kae quickly healed his wound, growling lowly,

" Who are you? What do you want?"

The boy smirked, his cat-like eyes gleaming in the dim light of the faux Midgar,

" My name is Kadaj. I'm here to kill you."

* * *

A/N: I wrote this before I got a hold of COM, so the scenario of Castle Oblivion will be a bit different. Also, a few disclaimers for you all;

Chrno is property of Chrno Crusade by Daisuke Moriyama

Kadaj and Yazoo are property of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children by Tetsuya Nomura (and Square)

Syaoran is property of Reservoir Chronicle: Tsubasa by CLAMP


	79. Chapter SeventyEight

Chapter Seventy-Eight

The boy smirked, his cat-like eyes gleaming in the dim light of the faux Midgar,

" My name is Kadaj. I'm here to kill you."

There was a long silence and then Kae burst out laughing. Kadaj raised an eyebrow at her, becoming agitated,

" What's so funny?"

The auburn-haired woman laughed, shaking her head as looked to him with a smirk,

" _You_? Kill _us_? You're joking right?

Kadaj shook his head, sighing as he raised his palm and fired off a bright blur of blue at her. The blast hit her square in the chest, hurtling her backward into the porch railing of Tifa's bar.

Tobi's eyes widened and he spun around fearfully,

" Kae!!"

The woman grunted and sat up, her hair now sprinkled with wood dust,

" Okay, maybe he's _not_ joking...."

The azure man glared back at Kadaj, hissing through his teeth,

" Why you slimy ba$t#$d..."

Kadaj simply smirked, folding his arms across his chest as his hair fluttered in the breeze,

" Takes one to know one."

Tobi growled viciously and barrelled toward the man, claws extended to kill. Kadaj easily side-stepped the 20-year-old and smirked, raising a hand to blast him from behind. He powered up to do so, the blue ball of light in his hand glowing softly on his face. Smirking, he readied to fire it off... as a gloved hand suddenly clamped itself on his arm,

" Don't...!"

Kadaj glanced over to see Lakchine standing there, her perfectly blonde hair in strings before her gorgeous emerald eyes,

" Let go, 'Chine."

The 17-year-old shook her head sternly,

" I won't."

The silver-haired boy gulped, glancing up at Tobi, who was now glaring at him venomously. He then turned back to her,

" Axel will be angry if you don't let me go."

" Axel's always angry."

The girl said, keeping her emerald eyes pinned on his soft, lime ones.

Kadaj sucked in a breath through his teeth, swearing as he lowered his arm,

" When Ansem hears of this, he'll kill both you _and_ your brother..."

Lakchine smiled, a bead of sweat sliding down her cheek,

" Thanks for your concern..."

The blonde was then thrown into a coughing fit and Kadaj tensed, kneeling down as he grabbed a hold of her shoulders,

" Lakchine! Are you alright!? Answer me!!"

Gasping for breath, the girl looked to him and smiled,

" I'm fine... now, just go on back to the Conference Room. Syaoran and the others are waiting for you there, anyway."

Kadaj nodded, straightened as the girl calmed herself,

" But what about you? Shouldn't you head back to your room?"

Lakchine shook her head, turning to Tobi and Kae, who had now climbed off the porch and healed herself, with a stern look in her eye,

" I can't. Not yet... I've got more important things to do."

The silver-haired boy glanced back and forth between Lakchine and the enemies, then nodded silently and exited the faux Midgar via rip portal. Kae frowned, absently placing a hand on her middle,

" Why are _you_ here? What do you want, _Lakchine_?"

The ill blonde smiled at them, then frowned,

" I can show you a faster way to Ansem."

* * *

Ansem scowled, glaring down at the cloud of smoke before him. Displayed in it was Lakchine. He had seen her stop Kadaj from killing them, seen her choose their side over darkness.

_' And she will pay dearly for her crimes against me... as will they.'_

He then glanced down at three other worlds and smiled, sending off a wave of darkness into each,

" Round Two has just begun..."

* * *

" He's got high hopes. He's got high hopes. He's got high, apple pie in the sky hopes--"

" Goofy! Stop singing!"

Goofy hyucked softly as he dusted off the books in the King's library, covering his mouth with a grin,

" Oops! Sorry..."

He then got back to work, happening to glance out the window while he hummed away. What he saw shocked him. Dropping the duster, Goofy pressed his nose against the glass and gasped at the sight of a man with spiky brown hair and piercing blue eyes standing at the foot of the castle's steps. The man seemed to be shouting for someone, so he lifted an ear to hear him better. Faintly, he heard a familiar voice call out,

" Donald? Goofy?"

Goofy immediately jumped with joy and rushed for the door,

" Sora!!"

Donald raised his head up, a lampshade resting atop it falling before his eyes,

" Huh?"

* * *

Goofy rushed down the steps, calling out to the man,

" Sora! Sora, yer okay!!"

Sora didn't turn to face him, instead, he began to cackle and speak in unearthly tones as he lifted his arms toward the sky,

" Skies like coal, open up in flame, swallow this world whole. Throw it into darkness; let the whole universe know! That this was Ansem's doing.... the devil wills it so."

Goofy's eyes widened as the skies began to pitch and turn in agitation, soon decaying before his eyes. They opened up just as Sora had told it to, spewing forth fire as a mist of darkness poured down from the sky to eat the world up. Sora continued his demonic chant, Goofy shouting to him incessantly,

" Sora, stop it! What're you doin'!? Yer the Keyblade Master, remember!? Yer not supposed to-- Waaahhhhaaaaooow!!"

A fireball managed to clip Goofy's tail and catch it on fire, causing him to run in circles. His entire body soon ignited and he let out a yowl, screaming in agony as he flew past Sora in a dead run toward the oncoming mist. Sora smirked, soon transforming into another figure... an evil witch with a horned crown atop her head and a crow resting on her shoulder. She cackled wildly, until the dark mist swallowed her up again. This time, there would be no second chance for her.

* * *

Donald gaped at the sight of his friend being swallowed by darkness and quacked in alarm, Jiminy hopping up onto his shoulder,

" What's going on out there, Donald? What do you see?"

Just as he was about to look out the window, the dark mist pressed against the glass and shattered it, taking both of their hearts along for the ride as it continued on to swallow their world...

* * *

Jun snarled viciously as a pair of Heartless came slinking toward him, his hackles high and his gleaming white teeth bared to sink into them. The creatures were undeterred, however, and more appeared, all leaping upon the wolf/fox breed at once. Jun let out a yelp as he tried to fight them off, gnawing and biting at them incessantly. It proved only to be fruitless, though. One Heartless managed to sneak in and rip out the wolf's heart shrieking with joy as it swallowed it whole.

A dark mist then washed over the Mystic Forest, it's light no longer there to protect it....

* * *

" Why? Why would you help us?"

Kae demanded, tightening her grip on her pistols. Lakchine seemed to cringe at this and the blonde swallowed hard, opening her mouth to speak,

" I... I--"

" Well," Kae said, stepping toward the girl impatiently,

" Spill it! Why are you trying to interfere?"

" Kae, stop it!"

The auburn-haired woman glanced back to see Tobi walking up. The azure man passed her by and stood near Lakchine, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder,

" Can't you see she's _just_ trying to help?"

" I know _that_, Tobi. What I want to know is _why_!"

Tobi sighed and turned back to the blonde, offering a small smile,

" Well, Lakchine?"

The emerald-eyed girl smiled back, turning to Kae with a smart aleck's smirk,

" Because I want to, that's why!"

She then stuck her tongue out, making Tobi laugh. Kae seethed at this. Lakchine folded her arms and smirked, a sense of triumph washing over her. She'd made Tobi laugh! The azure man then smiled at her, nodding,

" Alright. You say you can lead us to Ansem, right?"

Lakchine nodded, coughing a little,

" Sure can!"

Tobi smirked, his tail twitching behind him,

" Then lead the way!"

Kae growled, opening her mouth to speak as the two walked on past toward the next rip portal. No words came, however, and she growled again, angrily marching after them in silence.

* * *

" Boy, do I miss you, kiddo..."

" Tubby!"

Wakka turned around slightly to see a familiar, bouncy blonde running his way,

" Hey, Rikku! How are you?"

Rikku sighed as she reached him, glancing down at the graves he was knelt at,

" Okay... I guess."

Wakka stood and wrapped both arms around the Al Bhed girl, smiling slightly,

" We all miss 'dem. But as long as 'dere in our hearts, 'dey will always be with us, ya?"

Rikku nodded, taking in a deep breath as a tear fell from her swirly, green eyes,

" Yeah..."

" Rikku!"

The blonde glanced up to see her grey-haired friend, Paine, running toward them in slight panic,

" Paine? What's up?"

Paine stopped, taking a few deep breaths as she glanced back and forth between them,

" There's something wrong at the ship. C'mon!"

Rikku and Wakka exchanged confused glances, hurrying after Paine as she ran off toward the beach....

* * *

The three arrived at the beach but a few minutes later. Rikku gasped, noting that it was now in flames,

" Brother! Buddy! Shinra!!"

Paine growled viciously, clenching her fist tightly around the hilt of her sword,

" Who did this?"

" We did."

The trio spun around to see both Yuna and her blonde-haired soul mate standing not ten feet behind them. Rikku gasped, her eyes beginning to tear up at the sight of her old friends,

" Yunie? Why?"

Yuna smirked, glaring at them evilly,

" A little reunion on the Farplane made me think. What has the Light ever done for me? It brought us Sin two years ago. It took my father. It stole _him_ from me. It brought Riku to this island... where he then disposed of me like I was nothing. So, I said to myself,

' Yuna, you've done so much for Spira already. So much and no one's ever stopped to thank you for it. So, you know what? To heck with them all! It's time I let them_ all_ know how I feel about being used!"

Rikku shook her head, stepping toward the girl in distress,

" But, Yunie! We didn't use you! We're all very grateful for what you did--!!"

" Lies!"

Yuna shot back, casting a silence spell on the girl.

Paine growled, stepping toward the girl with her sword raised,

" Don't make me do this, Yuna."

The ex-summoner smiled, placing both hands behind her back,

" Do what, Paine?"

She then raised a hand and swung it through the air swiftly, a strong gust of wind knocking her three opponents over. _He_ smiled beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder in silence.

Yuna smiled at this, raising both hands toward the skies,

" And now you will know... how it feels to be overcome by the Darknes--!"

She suddenly let out and unearthly screech, dissipating into a cloud of black smoke as a pure pink heart sailed up to the skies. The same happened to _him_ and as the smoke cleared, the three could see that it was Lulu who had saved them,

" No one defiles thememory of High Summoner Yuna."

Rikku coughed as she was released from her silence and she gasped, sighing deeply,

" Phew! That was close!! Hey, Wakka? Why would Yunie do that to us, anyway?"

He shook his head,

" That thing _wasn't_ Yuna. It was a Heartless... a creature that destroyed my home 25 years ago."

Paine stood, turning toward the ship,

" Well, what now?"

There was then a loud rumble beneath their feet and all looked toward the sea to see a huge cloud of mist barrelling toward them. Lulu stepped up beside Wakka and grabbed hold of his arm,

" What is that, Wakka?"

Wakka glanced over at her and smiled sadly,

" I'm not sure... but it probably idn't good."

Rikku began to panic and back up as it drew closer, Paine gazing the smoke sternly,

" It looks like this is it."

" What!?"

The blonde screamed, shaking her head,

" No! No, it can't be it!! I've still got more spheres to find... fame to claim!! I wanna live, da$$#t!! I don't wanna die young!!"

Paine glanced back at her, sighing,

" Looks like we don't have a choice."

Wakka looked to Lulu, gazing into her burgundy eyes,

" Lu?"

The raven-haired woman looked up at him, frowning slightly. He smiled,

" Meet you on 'da Farplane..."

Tears filled Lulu's eyes as he drew her into a kiss, the wave of darkness yanking their hearts from their bodies seconds later.

* * *

Lakchine glanced around as they entered the next room, breathing in a sigh of relief,

" C'mon, the coast is clear!"

They all stepped toward the centre of the vast room, noting how much it looked like the rooms in Castle Nemesis. Tobi lowered his head as a string of memories filled his head, each one of something he didn't _want_ to remember...

--_1 month ago_--

_" Was it fun? Watching your best friend commit suicide in order to save the only girl he ever loved? Was it fun to see that girl suffer as she watched him die? Huh? How did you feel knowing that that girl would hate you forever? But he$#, Riku! At least you got off the island, huh? That's what you wanted right? ' Look at us, we're finally free' just about sums up your feelings, doesn't it--"_

_The silver-haired man shook his head, his fists clenched tightly,_

_" No! No, it wasn't like that!! None of that was supposed to happen--"_

_" But it did, didn't it, Riku!?"_

_Riku swallowed hard, rubbing both temples with one hand,_

_" Yes... yes, it's true."_

_He snorted, turning away from the man,_

_" You know... I thought I knew you. I looked up to you, I trusted you! I believed every word that ever came out of your mouth, and you know what? I was naïve. I should've known my whole life was a lie--"_

_Riku stepped toward him, a hard lump beginning to develop in his throat,_

_" Kid, that's not true. I only lied to protect you--"_

_His eyes widened as he turned back to face the man,_

_" I was raised on a lie!"_

_" My love for you is NOT a lie!!"_

_" Tobi?"_

----

The azure man jumped as a hand gently touched his shoulder and he looked down to see Lakchine standing there, looking to him with concerned eyes,

" Are you alright?"

He was silent for a moment, as if trying to process what she had said. Finally, he nodded,

" Yeah... yeah, I'm great, I'm fine..."

Kae narrowed her eyes as Lakchine turned around with a smile plastered on her face,

_' Why you little...'_

" Lakchine?"

The blonde gulped, straightening in place,

_' Uh oh...'_


	80. Chapter SeventyNine

Chapter Seventy-Nine

They all turned to see a man with flowing silver hair. Kae tensed, noting how much he looked like Kadaj,

_' Not another one!'_

The man walked over to them, smiling at the blonde,

" Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Lakchine smiled sheepishly, biting her lip,

" Well... you see, what had happened was--"

" Oh my! Who's this you've brought with you?"

She blinked, cringing in fear as she noticed just _who_ he was inspecting,

" O-O-Oh! _Him_? He's a friend of mine..."

The silver-haired man smiled at Tobi, looking him up and down strangely,

" You, uh... got a name?"

Tobi tensed, nodding sharply,

" Tobi."

Smiling again, the silver-haired one walked a circle around the man,

" My, my... you certainly are a piece of work, aren't you? Far better than that _Axel_, wouldn't you say, Lakchine?"

Lakchine cringed again,

" Well, um... I wouldn't rightly know, Yazoo."

Yazoo nodded, looking deep into the boy's golden eyes,

" You are Riku's son, are you not?"

Tobi nodded shortly, a sense of guilt washing over him as he remembered what had happened before Riku's death,

_' " I HATE YOU, RIKU!!!"'_

" Yes... yes, I am."

Yazoo nodding, placed a hand on the boy's cheek,

" It must've been hard... for you to loose someone so dear to you."

Tobi gulped in fear as the man came closer to him,

" Well, er... yes. It was... a very terrible time for me."

" I see... Do not be sad, Tobi. Good things come to those who wait... I'm sure you will be seeing good things for you _very_ soon..."

Tobi tensed as he suddenly felt a pinch on his backside and Yazoo giggled, stepping back,

" Well, fair well to you all. And Tobi... I'll be keeping my eye on _you_."

As soon as he was gone, Kae burst out laughing, nearly falling to her feet as Tobi let out a shriek,

" What the He$# was that about!?"

Lakchine smiled, shrugging nonchalantly as she turned around,

" Looks like Yazoo likes you."

" What!? But...but he's a guy, isn't he!?"

Tobi shouted, Kae's laughter still roaring in his ears. Lakchine turned on her heel a little, blinking twice,

" And your point being?"

* * *

Jim yawned and leaned back on the rock, the sun warming his chest,

" Yep, Morph... this sure beats being a space pirate any day... Morph?"

Opening his eyes, he sat up to find the pink blob floating in mid-air, it's eyes wide as it chirped in fear,

" What is it Morphy? What's wro--"

That's when he saw the mist. The mermaids all seemed curious as to what it was, even ignoring Peter Pan as he hastily flew over to them,

" You guys! We gotta get outta here!"

Jim frowned, raising an eyebrow at the elf,

" Why? What's goin' on?"

" That black stuff just ate Tink and the Lost Boys!!"

The young pirate's eyes nearly bugged out of his head,

" What!? And what about Hook!?"

Peter nodded vigorously,

" Hmm hmm! Hmm hmm! His last words were, ' Smee! I told you not to trust that treacherous mongrel!'"

Jim sighed, shaking his head as he stood up,

" Well, do you know what that thing is?"

Peter shook his head, shrugging as it came closer,

" Nah uh. Not a clu--"

He was cut off as the mist washed over them, plunging them into eternal darkness. Even the mermaids, who had retreated to their underwater homes, could not escape the darkness...

* * *

" Guys aren't s'posed to like _other_ guys, Lakchine!! That's just weird!!"

Lakchine giggled a little, coughing as they entered the eleventh level,

" What's so weird about it? It's just like a guy falling for a girl, excepting _this_ girl has some special attachments on her!"

Kae shrugged, thoroughly annoyed at how long this 5 hour argument was going on for,

" On Destiny Islands, nobody liked anyone... mainly because I was the only one there."

" And again, I say I'm here for you now."

" And again, I say you're a terrible liar..."

" Kae, why is it so hard for you to understand that I actually care about you!?"

" Because, you're a pervert."

" Uggghhhh! G#d Da$$#t, Kae!! Can't you just take your head out of your a$$ for one minute and look at the positive side of things!? The universe _doesn't_ hate you, you know!!"

" But it doesn't love me, either, that's the problem."

" Oi, would you two just SHUT _up_!!"

Both Kae and Tobi looked to Lakchine, who had stopped and turned to face them,

" You both sound like a rejected episode of _Dawson's Creek_!! Get over yourselves!! Kae, _nobody_ hates you! Obviously your feelings on the matter developed in an early stage of your life, most likely because you lost the people you cared most for when you were 5 years old! But, look sweetie, there are people here for you now! Look at Tobi, he _obviously_ cares about you!! And I'm sure Riku was pretty concerned for you before he kicked the bucket! Sorry, Tobi."

The azure man nodded, lowering his head sadly,

" It's okay."

Lakchine then folded her arms and turned to him,

" And by the way, if you love the girl so da$# much, just marry her already and get it over with! At least it would explain why you two sound so much like a married couple..."

Kae and Tobi fell silent, subtly exchanging glances under the watchful eye of the blonde. The 17-year-old then turned with a low growl and started for the next rip portal,

" Teenagers..."

Tobi coughed as he followed after her, raising his hand to make a point,

" If it helps my case any, I'm not a teenager. I'm a depressed adult--"

" You're a da$# teenager, now shut up and stop denying it!"

" Lakchine? What are you doing out of bed?"

The girl, again, halted in her tracks, glancing up to see a boy with raven-coloured hair and brilliant crimson eyes,

" C-Ch-Chrno! Hi, how are you?"

Chrno glanced up and smiled, recognizing Kae instantly,

" You. You're the girl from the Library at Hollow Bastion."

Kae tensed a little, sensing a strange vibration from the boy,

" Yes. Yes, I am."

He then turned toward Tobi and frowned, his eyes conveying a look of sorrow,

" And you're Riku's son... Tobi."

Tobi nodded, his tail whipping about softly behind him,

" Yeah..."

" I'm sorry for your loss. It must be hard to lose a parent."

The man nodded again, silently this time. Lakchine sighed, turning to Chrno,

" Hey, Chrno? Could you just step aside and let us pass please? These two are kinda my prisoners and I'm supposed to bring them to Ansem as soon as possible."

Tobi raised his head, his fists tightly clenched as Kae tightened her grip on her Tiny Bees,

" What!? We're your PRISONERS!? You traitor!! I thought you were on our-- OW!! SON OF A--"

Lakchine lowered her boot and conveniently began coughing at this point, smiling as soon as Tobi was done with his obscenities,

" Like I said, I need to get through right away..."

* * *

" I see. So, that's what you're doing, is it, Lakchine?"

Ansem frowned as he gazed down at the smoke cloud. Chrno had just let the three of them through to the 12th level, believing Lakchine's pathetic story about Kae and Tobi being her prisoners,

" All through your induction, you _were_ a little tootrusting of people... No matter. Axel shall see to it that they are disposed of."

* * *

" What the he$# did you kick me for!? And I thought you were on our side!"

" I _am _on your side, stupid! Now, shut up! Do you wanna get us caught?"

Tobi raised an eyebrow, pausing in the next room,

" You are? But I thought you just said--"

Lakchine spun around on her heel, groaning,

" It was a decoy, you aho! I was only saying that so Chrno would let us through!"

The azure man nodded,

" Ahhhh, I see. You're good. You're _really_ good."

Kae coughed, shaking her head as she walked past him,

" And you're _really _stupid..."

Lakchine giggled as Kae came up behind her, smiling at the woman,

" Good one, Kae!"

Kae silently sent her an evil glare, making the girl shudder,

" Um... okay! So, once we get through here we can just--"

" Just do what, _sister_?"

Lakchine straightened, stiffening with fear. Axel stepped out of the shadows behind her, frowning at Tobi and Kae,

" You all are not going _anywhere_. Especially you, _Lakchine._"

The ill blonde turned on her heel, bravely facing her brother,

" Who says?"

Axel narrowed his eyes, stepping forward,

" I do."

Lakchine clenched her fists tightly, her legs becoming like Jell-o beneath her,

" This is wrong and you know it, Axel."

The fiery-haired youth stepped up to her, grabbing her wrist and tugging her to him,

" And you and I both know you're too ill to think straight."

Lakchine gasped, trying to squirm away,

" Axel, don't--"

" How _dare_ you two take advantage of my baby sister! Tobi, I respected you! I pitied you after you lost Riku... I tried to be a _friend_ to you and this is how you repay me? By putting foreign thoughts into Lakchine's head--"

" Those thoughts aren't foreign, Axel," Kae began, putting one foot forward,

" They were there to begin with, weren't they, Lakchine?"

Lakchine opened her mouth to agree, but was interrupted by her brother,

" You shut you're mouth. I've had enough of _you..._ _Keybearer Scion_. You don't even know what you're talking about. You tried to kill her!!"

" That doesn't mean I don't know what's in her heart. I sensed back in Hollow Bastion that she didn't want to be there anymore then Chrno wanted to fight me in the Library!"

" But you fought her anyway, didn't you!? You have _no_ room to talk here!"

Lakchine growled softly, burning holes in Axel's chest with her vicious glare,

" Neither do you, Axel."

Axel glanced down at the blonde with confusion, frowning as she coughed a little,

" What did you say...?"

The question was almost fearful in nature. Lakchine turned her emerald gaze to his, her features intense,

" I chose to go with them of my own free will. No illness or disease or brainwashing made me go. This is my doing."

Axel's eyes were wide as he shook his head. Voices filled his memory with unwanted images of the past, present, and the possible future, causing those eyes to well up with angry tears...

_--Past--_

_The fiery-haired five-year-old looked up at his mother with a smile as she knelt down, tears streaming down her fair cheeks,_

_" What's the matter, Mommy?"_

_Lucrecia stood silently and headed over toward the window, pushing it open wide,_

_" I'm sorry, sweetheart.... I can't take care of you any longer."_

_She then leapt from his sight and fell downward, the boy rushing to the sill just in time to see her hit the concrete below...._

--_Present--_

_Ansem nodded to him shortly,_

_" You abandoned your duties and disobeyed me in order to save her. So, I have revoked my magic from her body--"_

_" But.... but you can't do that!!"_

_" DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO!"_

_The yellow-eyed man then calmed, sighing,_

_" Once you prove to me your loyalty... I'll think about reinstating it..."_

--

_" I chose to go with them of my own free will. No illness or disease or brainwashing made me go. This is my doing."_

_Lakchine had said. Her eyes had shone with the utmost determination..._

_--Future--_

_" What do you intend to do with her?"_

_Tobi now stood before him, dressed in Riku's cloak and carrying the man's staff. The azure one's hair was tied back in a ponytail, as he had let it grow to his shoulders,_

_" With who?"_

_He narrowed his eyes at the man, fury boiling in his veins,_

_" My sister."_

_--_

_Now, Lakchine lay dead on the ground before him, her blood spilling to the floor. A huge hole in her abdomen explained the blood, but nothing could explain why he found that same blood all over his clothes, hands... and weapons._

_' Did I do this? Is this all my fault?'_

_" Lakchine!!"_

_----_

" I'll die first... before I let anything happen to her."

Lakchine frowned, her eyes shimmering with concern,

" Axel?"

Everything was still for a moment as if time had come to a complete stop. Kae tensed, noting the viciousness of Axel's glare. It was directed straight at Tobi.

Suddenly, Axel hurled Lakchine to the floor and whipped out his weapons, charging forward at the boy,

" DIE!!"

Lakchine let out a shrill scream and reached for her brother as he sped towards the azure man, tears filling her eyes,

" AXEL, DON'T!!"

Tobi quickly whirled Riku's staff to block Axel's weapons, grunting as their blades collided. Axel spun one of his

"Twins" between his fingers and slashed it across the man's stomach while the other locked with Riku's staff. The azure man grunted, soon feeling warm blood trickle down his abdomen. Kae hissed lowly, whipping out her Tiny Bees with god-like speed as Axel continued to attack Tobi. She aimed both barrels for the Nobody's head, prompting a scream from Lakchine,

" Axel!!"

The red-head turned, catching sight of Kae's guns as soon as she fired them. He quickly moved, Kae screaming as both bullets barrelled for Tobi's face,

" No!"

Quickly, Tobi shut his eyes and dissipated in a cloud of blue smoke. Axel grunted as Kae swivelled back in his direction and immediately, she began firing off her "Bees" at him.

He leapt out of the way and ran across the wall, making a full circle around the room before landing on the ground again. Kae aimed one pistol straight for his head, cursing as she pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. The 19-year-old cursed as Axel started to step toward her, banging at her gun to un-jam it,

" C'mon... c'mon! Not now....!"

Axel smirked, raising one of his blades to strike her down. He felt a tap on his shoulder and without thinking, glanced back in silent question.

" Guess who!"

A sleek, metal rod then smashed into his cheek bone and Axel cursed, spinning around fully to swipe at the aggravating man. This time, he ran one of the many tips on his right "Twin" down the full length of Tobi's left arm, causing the man to cry out in pain. The boy dropped the staff and grabbed his bleeding arm, staggering backward as Axel charged forward to attack.

Tobi caught both blades in his hands, grunting as he was slammed back against the wall. Kae cursed, beating at the butt of her pistol to get it to work,

" Don't do this now, c'mon!!"

" Kae.... just go!"

The woman tensed, noting the urgency in his voice. Tobi grunted as Axel's force became stronger, unsure of whether or not he could hold him off for much longer,

" Go on ahead...without me!"

Kae shook her head, raising her pistol again,

" No, I'm not leaving you!!"

" I'll be fine, Kae!! You just _go_!!"

The auburn-haired woman hesitated, gazing at him sadly. The image of another boy inserted itself in Axel's clutches and she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes as she barrelled for the rip portal. Tobi turned his attention back to Axel with a smirk as she disappeared, laughing a little,

" Looks like your job is done here. Kae got through, you failed."

Axel smirked in return,

" No, I haven't. This was exactly what Ansem wanted. The next Ring has fallen right into his hands...."

Tobi's golden eyes widened and he shook his head, nearly screaming,

" Kae, NO--"

The fiery-haired Nobody drew up his knee and rammed it into Tobi's stomach, further damaging the wound that already resided there. Tobi grunted as he continued this motion, barely able to speak,

" This... is why...you ga..ve us the directi..ons to the castle... so you could... KILL HER!!"

Axel smirked at him, laughing shortly as he rammed his right "Twin" into the boy's gut,

" Bingo. Once Ansem gets a hold of the last Ring, the Keyblade will form... he'll have a power that spans universes... dimensions even! And it's all thanks to you, Tobi--ACK!!"

A sudden sharp pain spiralled up Axel's spine, causing his legs to become like rubber. Carefully, the red-head turned to see Lakchine standing behind him, kunai in hand,

" 'Chine?"

Tears welled in her eyes as he pulled back from Tobi and drew away from them, barely able to stand due to the single kunai lodged in his back,

" Why?"

Lakchine sniffled, as he disappeared through a rip portal of his own, rushing to Tobi's side as he sank to the floor,

" Tobi!"

She knelt down beside him as he leaned his head back against the wall, grunting in pain,

" Kae... I have to get... to Kae..."

* * *

Kae stepped through the rip portal and cursed, gripping her pistols tightly. It was the final floor, the 13th floor.... Ansem's floor. The room was modelled after the Secret Room in Hollow Bastion... Virgin Mary and all. The auburn-haired woman gulped, lightly placing a hand on her middle as she came to a stop at the centre of the room. Something was strange here... something wasn't right.

" Feeling a bit queasy are we... Princess?"

The sapphire-eyed woman spun around, the loose hairs in her messy bun swaying behind her. Before her stood the shadow of the Devil himself, his eyes glowing a vicious yellow in colour.

She gasped, tensing slightly,

" You... you're the one who killed Riku... and my parents."

The man simply smiled, his teeth glowing brightly in the darkness...


	81. Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty

Lakchine gasped as grunted, his teeth gritting together tightly,

" I-I don't know if that's wise..."

" I don't care....if it's _wise_ or not.... being wise gets you no..where in this world. I learned _that_....from Riku."

The man tried to push himself up the wall, crying out in pain as the wound in his stomach ripped further. Lakchine tensed at this, grabbing hold of his right arm,

" Tobi!"

He opened his eyes a crack, gasping for breath,

" Take me to Kae."

* * *

" You... you're the one who killed Riku...and my parents."

The man simply smiled, his teeth glowing brightly in the darkness. He chuckled softly as she continued,

" You sicked your Heartless dogs on my aunt and uncle... had Zero kill the only boy who ever loved me... you destroyed my home and then you moved onto Tobi's."

Ansem nodded, waving his hand,

" Yes, yes! Continue..."

Kae hissed lowly, narrowing her eyes at him as she tightened her grip on her pistols,

" You killed his mother...your daughter. That would make him your grandson. You killed that 'Tifa' woman he held so dearly... destroyed Midgar just as you destroyed Destiny... and then you killed his father."

" Very, very good, Princess... but there's just one part you forgot about."

Kae raised an eyebrow, straightening to face him as anger bubble up in her veins,

" And that would be?"

Ansem smirked, calling upon his trusty halberd,

" The part where I killed the only woman he ever truly loved..."

Kae frowned in confusion at this, her eyes widening as the white-haired man continued,

" _You._"

* * *

Yazoo sighed, lightly resting his chin on his palm,

" I sure hope that _Tobi_ character is all right. It wouldseem a shame for someone like _him_ to go to waste, hm?"

His younger brother, Kadaj, who was sitting beside him, rolled his eyes, murmuring lowly to himself,

" Please..."

Chrno sighed at the brothersas he leaned against the window frame gazing out at the vast world beyond the castle. Syaoran came up behind him and shoved both hands into his pockets,

" You're name is Chrno, right?"

The crimson-eyed boy turned slightly to face him and smiled,

" Yep. Sure is!"

The smile then faded and he turned back to the window. Syaoran cleared his throat again,

" And it's true? That you have no past memory whatsoever?"

Chrno straightened and spun around to face Syaoran, eyeing another character in the background. The man had sandy-blonde hair and was leaning back against the wall, brooding silently. He had come on board not too long ago for unknown reasons, but Chrno had heard that the man's name was Vexen.

There was one other young man in the room. He wore his hood up, however, so none could see his face. The only thing distinguishable about him was the fact that he carried a huge gold and blue scythe...

The group jumped as a rip portal opened up and out staggered Axel, who collapsed on the floor in exhaustion seconds later. Yazoo jumped up from his seat and hurried to Axel's side, gasping at the sight of the younger's blood,

" Axel? Are you alright?"

Axel shuddered, his blood trailing to the floor. The group all remained silent and if they were hearing correctly, the new leader of the Organisation was sobbing...

* * *

Kae grunted as she dodged another slash of Ansem's halberd, smirking as the weapon became lodged in the wall plaster. This gave her the chance to circle around him and fire off her gun from behind. She had finally discarded the jammed one; it was of no use to her broken. Ansem yanked the lance out with one pull, growling in aggravation as a bullet imbedded itself in his spine. He turned slowly, smirking without fault,

" What were you hoping to accomplish, Princess?"

Kae's eyes widened as he simply reached behind him and plucked the bullet out, dropping it on the floor beside him,

" Unreal..."

" How so? The powers of Darkness ensure me a long, long lifeline... Haven't you ever wondered why Riku could not be killed so easily? The Darkness had been strong within him... it allowed him to be injured but he was barely afflicted by the pain. But the Darkness is not without limit. Riku continued to use his power.... gradually wasting it away. He became weaker by the day... so much power he squandered."

Kae narrowed her eyes, hissing lowly as she finally realised the whole of what had happened,

" So, you took it from him."

Ansem nodded again, smiling as she raised her pistol,

" Yes... yes I took it. I needed it for my own purposes, and what had he to use it for, anyhow? So, I sucked the Darkness out of him... finally allowing him to return to my daughter's arms--"

" But he had a son who still needed him here, that didn't cross your mind at _all_?"

She fired off a bullet at his head, one he easily side-stepped,

" The boy is grown up, now. He no longer needs a father--"

" That's not your decision to make!!"

Kae growled, firing off a hail of bullets onto the man. Ansem ran to his left, dodging each blast by only a foot. The woman hissed again as the pistol ran out of bullets, leaping backward as Ansem made to swipe her with his lance.

* * *

" I can't do that. You'll only injure yourself worse--"

Tobi growled, his stringy, crimson bangs hanging limp before his glowing gold eyes,

" If you won't help me..."

He grunted, staggering to his feet with a gritted scream. He clamped his wounded arm over his wounded stomach and winced, the pain surging through his body,

"...then I'll go... by myself."

He stumbled forward, Lakchine coughing as she carefully followed behind him,

_' Tobi, what are you thinking...?'_

* * *

" Yaaah!!"

Kae spun on her heel, making to slam her left boot into Ansem's face. He smirked at her and quickly leapt away, however, smiling as he surveyed the damage he'd already done to the woman's body. A few nicks on her arm, a burn or two on her back, a slice up her right leg,

_' That's all? She's stronger than I thought. Truly a descended of the Keybearer...'_

Cursing, Ansem landed to her right, clenching his free fist tightly,

" You've proven yourself, well, Princess. Far stronger than I could've imagined. However, all battles _must_ come to an end some time.... and I've decided that it is time for this one to meet it's end!!"

He raised his arm, fist clenched before him as it began to glow with bright green energy,

" This is the grand finale... And end to meet ALL ends! Farewell, Kae Hikaru!!"

He shot his arm out before him and fired off multiple blasts directly at her, leaving her no room to flee.

**/ Turn around/**

**/ Smell what you don't see/**

**/ Close your eyes; it's so clear/**

Kae's eyes widened and she quickly raised her arms to block her face, tensing as the energy burned her skin. The force of the blasts blew her back against the wall with a painful thump. She refused to let this be the end of her, despite the over all fear of knowing it would be. She couldn't die now, not yet...

**/ Here is the mirror/**

**/ Behind there is a screen/**

**/ On both ways; you can get in/**

Tobi grunted as he staggered through the portal, Lakchine not far behind. He took a minute to get his bearings, then looked around, gasping at what he saw. Kae was being blasted repeatedly by Ansem... she was defenceless. Grunting, he forced himself forward, pain surging through his limbs,

" Kae!"

**/ Don't think twice before you listen to your heart/**

Lakchine gasped and reached for him, but stepped back in fear of Ansem. There was nothing she could do now... it was too late.

**/ Follow the trace for a new start/**

Tobi cursed as he tripped on his own foot and he fell to his knees, slowly raising his head to see what was going on. Kae couldn't hold out much longer and he knew that... but he also knew that there was nothing that he could do to save her in time. He shook his head,

_' No, don't think that way!! You can save her, you can!! Don't give up!!'_

**/ What you need/**

**/ And everything you're feeling/**

**/ Is just a question of the deal/**

Lakchine bit her lip and clenching her fists tightly. She pulled out her kunai an looked at them, then to Ansem,

_' I could always... but he'd kill me on the spot!'_

The girl looked back toward Tobi. He was still trying to reach Kae,

_' But if I don't do something now, he'll kill Tobi and Kae!!'_

Nodding confidently, Lakchine pulled her arm back to hurl her eight kunai at her former Master and protector. And just as Fate would have it, she was thrown into a coughing spasm. Her eight kunai fell from her grasp, each hitting the floor with a tinny clang.

**/ In the eye of storm you will see a lonely dove/**

Ansem glanced over and cursed, noticing both Tobi and Lakchine had entered the room. He quickly ceased his reign of fireballs on the auburn-haired woman and smiled viciously,

" It ends now!!"

Twirling his lance between his fingers, he charged forward at the dazed Kae with only one thought on his mind,

_' The Ring is mine!!'_

**The experience of survival is the key/**

Kae shook her head and glanced up, her eyes widening at the sight of Ansem charging straight for her. She was paralysed, however, her body to weak and overcome by fear to move away. A glimpse of blue was seen in the corner of her eye and she glanced down, her eyes welling with tears,

" Tobi..."

The azure man gazed up at her with wide, golden eyes, he, too, unable to move. His limbs were to sore, too much blood was lost from him... he was too weak to...

**/ To the gravity of love/**

Kae jerked forward, her eyes tightly shut as Ansem rammed the lance through her middle. She grunted, slowly opening her eyes to look up at her killer's face. He was smirking at her, his eyes a flame with triumph. She then looked to Tobi, who was still gazing with wide eyes. They were so large that they reminded her of Wakka's blitzball. She smiled at the memory...

Tobi felt his whole body go numb as Kae slumped over and he clawed at the ground, pushing himself up in his last burst of strength,

" KAE!!"

Everything seemed to be going in slow motion... as if none of it were actually happening. Ansem jerked away from the woman, stepping back as she fell forward.

And with one last chuckle, the white-haired man disappeared,

_' At last... I finally get what I want.'_

* * *

Kae hit the ground before Tobi could reach her, a tiny pool of blood forming beneath her stomach. Tobi quickly knelt down and turned her over, raising her into his arms,

" KAE!! KAE, ANSWER ME!! _PLEASE_!! KAE!!"

Her sapphire eyes slowly fluttered open and she winced, blood dribbling onto her chin as she tried to speak,

" To..bi?"

He cradled her in his arms, running his hand through her hair as he gently rocked her back and forth.

The woman cracked a smile, coughing slightly as she raised her hand to touch his cheek,

" Baka..."

Tobi, too, smiled at the name and grabbed hold of her hand,

" Yeah... that's me."

It was then that everything around them, the tables, the doors, the world itself, dissolved into golden glitter, leaving them in the darkness of oblivion.

**/ The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom/**

Kae sucked in a breath, her vision darkening with each passing second. After a few moments, Tobi's glowing eyes were the only thing she could see. It was now or never....

**/ Try to think about it/**

**/ That's the chance to live your life and discover all it is/**

" To..bi."

He pulled her closer, gazing deeply into her sapphire eyes,

" I'm here, Kae. What is it?"

She traced her fingers down his cheek, tears streaming down hers,

" I...love you."

Tobi's eyes widened at her words, tensing as she closed her eyes,

" Kae?"

He shook her a little, becoming frantic,

" Kae!?"

**/ It's the gravity of love/**

She could not hear his cries, however... she was already gone. Tobi's mouth dropped open, tears glittering silently in his eyes. He let go of her hand and it fell limp to her side. The now helpless boy pulled her closer, holding back his tears as he softly began to sing,

" _Our paths; they did cross, though I cannot say just why. We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said good-bye. And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told..."_

Tobi closed his eyes, unable to sing anymore as he bowed his head in tears. Something was happening, though.

Something he was unaware of.

**/ Look around just people/**

Tobi soon felt an odd warmth on his face and he opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow at what he was met with. Kae was glowing in gold, the brightest spot on her body being her stomach. His eyes glowed in the light and he straightened, a strange object emerging from the girl's body.

**/ Can you hear their voice?/**

It looked to be an intricate star on a keychain. The star was smiling at him and for some reason, he felt the need to smile back. A young girl about the age of five stood behind them, her peachy tail swishing triumphantly behind her. A slight breeze around her caused her chin-length, ebony hair to flutter and the fluff on her strap-on cat ears began to fly all over the place. She batted her perfectly sapphire eyes at the sight, then burst into a cloud of pyreflies and spiralled away.

**/ Find the one who'll guide you/**

A few moments later, the keychain began to spin, summoning three other glowing gold lights to it. A silhouette of a giant key formed before Tobi's eyes, spinning so fast that it really couldn't be deciphered as to what it _really_ was. His focus stayed centred on the glowing object until it at last came to a stop, not really doing much else...

**/ To the limits of your choice/**

Tobi frowned at the huge key floating above Kae, wondering what exactly it was,

_' Is this... is this the Keyblade?'_

All around him, the world suddenly burst into colour and he gasped, his eyes glowing with wonder. Tears lingered in his eyes, slowly streaming down his cheeks as he gazed at the wonders all around him,

_' Kae would've wanted badly to see this...'_

**/ I feel in the eye of storm/**

**/ Just think of a lonely dove/**

He looked all around him, noting the stars in the vast blue sky. They seemed to be sailing backward. All around him, life itself seemed to be going backward and what was once a barren wasteland of a jungle became a tiny little island with a beautiful waterfall and palm trees all around. A shabby shack reside in the corner of things and behind it was what looked like a bridge leading to a smaller island.

Everything around him was going in reverse and Tobi found himself in awe,

_' Is her plan... actually working?'_

A brilliant burst of light began to fill the area and Tobi gasped, leaning over to shield her from it,

" Kae!"

**/ The experience of survival is the key/**

" Hey, mister? What'chya doin'?"

Tobi slowly opened his eyes to see a pair of tan-and-white-sandaled feet before him. He dared to look up, but the owner of the feet squatted down in front of him instead,

" Hellooo?"

The azure man straightened, pulling back as a boy's face drew close to his. The boy had big blue eyes and spiky brown hair. He wore a white and blue shirt and red pants, and was holding a wooden sword in his hand. Tobi was awestruck,

" Keybearer?"

The boy raised his eyebrow in question, smiling as he shook his head,

" Me? Nope! Muh name's Sora. What's yours?"

" We're not supposed to talk to strangers, stupid!"

Tobi straightened, immediately glancing past Sora to see another boy. This one was in a bright yellow tank top and he wore black shorts, blue and white slip-on sneakers adorning his feet. He had white and blue arm bands to match them and held a wooden sword to match Sora's in his right hand. His other hand was on his hip. What startled Tobi most about the boy, however, was his face.

He knew that face, be it young or old, framed with choppy, silver hair or long. Those eyes were unmistakable as well, huge and sparkling sea green in the moonlight. The boy walked over to them, Tobi's eyes welling with tears as he approached,

" Riku?"

The child stopped as he reached Sora, raising an eyebrow,

" How did you know my name?"

**/ To the gravity of love/**

Sora's eyes lit up at this and he bounced up and down giddily,

" Ooh!! Maybe he's got super powers er summ'in! Do you, mister!?"

Tobi blinked, nodding as he began to stutter,

" Uh... Y-Ye-Yeah! It's... something like that."

" What other powers ya got?"

The azure man laughed a little as the brunette sat down in front of him, the boy's sapphire eyes sparkling with curiousity. Riku seemed a little more reluctant to go near them and glanced down at the woman in his arms,

" Who's she?"

Tobi looked down at Kae and smiled, brushing his fingers through her bangs. Her face was glowing softly in the moonlight and her eyes were lightly closed. He picked up her hand and held it tightly, smiling up at the boys,

" Her? Her name's Kae."

Sora glanced down at her as well, his eyes lighting up instantly,

" Oh wow! She's purdy!"

The brunette looked up with a curious pout,

" Why is she sleeping?"

Tobi opened his mouth to say something, but Riku interrupted,

" 'Cause maybe she's tired, you baka!"

" That's not nice, Riku! If yer gunna call me summin' call me 'aho'!"

" That's even worse, stupid!"

" No, it's not!!"

Tobi smiled as the two boys playfully began to fight, gasping as a loud, booming sound filled the air.

A brilliant light suddenly streaked overhead and caught the brunette's attention, wowing him immediately,

" Whoa!! Hey, Riku, lookit! Lookit!!"

The silver-haired boy looked toward the sky, as did Tobi, the strange light gleaming in their eyes. It was a series of falling stars... a meteor shower.

Tobi then glanced back down at Riku and smiled, tears streaming down his cheeks. Riku, however, was too caught up in the shooting stars to look at him and he followed after Sora to the shoreline,

" Wow, look at 'em all!"

" Yeah! They're purdy, aren't they?"

Riku glanced back at Tobi upon reaching his friend, only for an instant, and Tobi smiled. The boy did nothing in return, but simply went back to star gazing...

- _I will remember that look for the rest of my days. The way he looked back at me...it was almost like he remembered everything. Like he knew who I was and what we'd been through... like he knew I was his son. -_

Tobi winced a little and glanced down at Kae, gasping softly. She was beginning to dissolve into an array of different colours. Taking in a deep breath, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips, feeling himself begin to disappear along with her. He pulled away, touching foreheads with her as they began to fade,

" Good-bye... Kae."

Both then shattered into fragments of nothing, silently spiralling into the night sky and away from Destiny Island for what they knew would be forever...

END


	82. Epilogue

Epilogue

A young auburn-haired girl with bright blue eyes giggled as she ran across the beach. She was about the age of five. Her parents had brought her here so that she could become acquainted with the child of someone they knew. Her father was lying on the sand snoozing the day away, so she decided to have some fun. Her mother giggled as the young girl began to bury him up to the neck in sand. It looked like something _he _would do. She shook her head and gazed down at the twenty-five-year-old,

" You lazy bum..."

He peeled open an eye and quickly grabbed the young girl by the shoulders, raising her into the air. She screamed and giggled in delight as he tossed her up a bit,

" Daddy! Daddy, stop it!"

He smirked and lowered her slowly, their noses touching for a bit. She grinned wildly and giggled, frowning,

" Daddy, why do you do that?"

Grinning, he laughed,

" Because I can."

He set her down beside him and sat up, placing both hands on his knees,

" Why do _you_ do _that_?"

She frowned, tilting her head to the side,

" Do what?"

Smiling, he wiped a finger across her nose,

" Twitch your nose whenever you ask me a question?"

He suddenly pulled her to him and sloppily kissed her cheek, the sound echoing across the small island. She backed away and wiped the spit off her cheek,

" Eww! Daddy that's gross!"

Shaking his head, he laughed and pushed himself up,

" Just doin' my job."

She giggled, smiling brightly,

" You're so weird!"

Smiling just as bright, he took a pose,

" I know. It's...a gift."

He gasped and doubled over when his wife playfully poked his stomach,

" A gift, huh? Seems more like a FLUKE to me!"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes following her as she stepped passed,

" Fluke, eh? I'll show you a fluke!"

Quickly running up from behind her, he grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, making her scream,

" Sora! Sora, no! Stop it! Stop i-hi-hit!"

The little girl smiled and ran out to the shore, glancing over toward Paopu Isle,

" Mama, Daddy! Lookit! Lookit!"

Sora stopped and they both glanced in the direction she was pointing, a wide grin forming on Sora's lips. Coming around the bend was a family very similar to their's. A twenty-six-year-old man with shoulder-length, silver hair came strolling out into the sunlight, a young, ebony-haired woman at his side. Behind the woman's leg was a small boy. The tiny auburn-haired girl quickly scampered to them as they stopped, trying to peek around the woman's leg to see him.

From the looks of it, he had raven-coloured hair that came to a stop just above his slightly pointed ears. She smiled at him as the silver-haired man ushered him out into the open. He tried to hide from her, to shy away, but he couldn't... his father was too strong. The little girl giggled and batted her bright, sapphire eyes at him, smiling,

" Hi!"

She stepped closer to the boy, trying to look up into his eyes. He immediately shut them, making her laugh,

" My name's Kae. What's your name?"

The boy remained silent and his mother giggled, kneeling down beside him with her hand lightly on his back,

" Well, go on! Tell Kae your name."

The boy gulped, still trying to shy away from her as he opened his sea-green eyes,

" Tobi."

* * *

I'd like to thank everyone who read my long a$$ story! I'm not going to put up a list of everyone that read it and reviewed because, well... it'd be a long one! So I'll thank you all as a whole, even those of you who read but didn't review! HUGGLES ALL AROUND! I didn't actually think that this story was gonna last like it did. I'm so happy you all liked it so much! I feel special now! But hot da$# it'll be a _long_ time before I do it again! It took too long to get the ideas out of my head! 

* * *

Disclaimers:

I do not own KH or FF in any way shape or form. I may wish I did... but then you all would _HATE_ me...

Darien and the Sailor Scouts property of Sailor Moon by Toei.

Chrno and Rosette property of Chrno Crusade by Daisuke Moriyama

Zero property of the Megaman X series by Capcom

Midgar, Wall Market and Kalm belong to FF7.

Remember- Josh Groban

Melodies of Life - Faye Wong

Calmer of the Storm - downhere

This Isn't What We Meant - Savatage

1000 Words - (jap.)Koda Kumi / (eng.)Jade (Sweetbox)

Thanks for reading!


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